Krista and Zack Schuyler love being small-business owners in a small town. The couple opened Fortville Music Garage in November of 2020. During that time they immersed themselves in the community. In July Krista saw a Facebook post asking what Fortville was missing. One prevalent answer was a coffee shop.
“I think there were over 800 comments on the post, and a large percentage of those were about a coffee shop,” Krista Schuyler says. “I’ve always wanted to own a coffee shop. We thought about it for a while and decided to move forward, opening our coffee shop, Beeline Beverage & Snack.”
Beeline is housed below Fortville Music Garage on Main Street. The cafe has a small stage for entertainment, offering the students upstairs another creative outlet. The idea was more than just a coffee shop and a place for the community to gather.
“We noticed during the day there aren’t many places to go where you can work from your laptop or meet a friend,” Schuyler says. “We wanted to offer a space for that, and also a kid-friendly space for moms.”
In the evenings Beeline offers themed nights like trivia and bingo. Beginning in January, every Thursday will be designated as Sponsor Thursday. The Beeline owners will pick an organization, and 10% of sales from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. will go to that organization. Fridays will include live entertainment.
The menu includes P1 Coffee, a product from a Fortville-based coffee roaster. P1 started as an e-commerce coffee company, brewing small-batch coffee. The owners approached the Schuylers when they heard they were opening a local coffee shop. Keeping the coffee local was essential to the Schuylers.
Guests who don’t enjoy coffee can choose from a variety of gourmet sodas from Boylan Bottling Company. Boylan soda has been brewed in the U.S. since 1891. Beeline also offers bakery snacks such as muffins, protein bars, animal crackers, chips and candy.
Even though the doors officially opened on December 4, word spread quickly in anticipation of the new venture.
“We had about 1,200 followers on our Facebook page before we even opened,” Schuyler says. “The community embraced us in such a positive way with the Fortville Music Garage, and they’ve done the same with Beeline Beverage & Snack. We already have repeat customers, which is so nice. The Fortville community keeps embracing us and loving on us. We love being part of this community.”
The owners didn’t grow up in the Fortville area, but love the small-town feel. Schuyler recently hosted the coffee shop’s first bingo night and said it’s the most fun she’s had in a long time.
Beeline Beverage & Snack is located at 14 South Main Street in Fortville. For more information, call 317-967-0100 or visit beelinebeverage.com.
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