Coffee, tea and a lot of laughs

Photo: Sharon Bouchard

Debbie Carroll, left, and Pam Bennett.

Photo: Sharon Bouchard

Debbie Carroll serving Charlene Fogg.

PARIS – It’s all about sharing a smile and a laugh with the customers at The Brew-Ha, Oxford Hills’ newest drive-through coffee shop. According to its owners, sisters, Pam “Benni” Bennett and Debbie Carroll of Oxford, brewing fresh coffee and laughing a lot is how the business got its name.

“We brew and we laugh,” chuckled Bennett, “So, there you have it…Brew-Ha.”

The Brew-Ha, located at 245 Main Street (Route 26) in South Paris, celebrated a grand opening on June 18 and business has been steadily increasing since then.

“We have a lot of regular customers who come by every day,” says Bennett. “But, we’re also seeing more and more new people and making new friends. Until we get to know their names we give them nicknames, good ones of course, but we love to know people’s names. It’s so much friendlier when you can greet customers by name.”

“It’s really all about the people,” added Carroll with a hearty laugh. “We just love meeting new people, visiting with regular customers and laughing with all of them. Pam and I are laughing all the time.”

Coffee is not the only thing available at The Brew-Ha, although there are 15 flavors and a combination of 32 when mixed and matched.

There are also seven flavors of teas brewed fresh daily, hot chocolate, smoothies and several other beverages. Breakfast sandwiches, muffins and lunch sandwiches and soups, made by the sisters, round out the menu.

For the convenience of those who can’t get out for breakfast or lunch deliveries in Norway and South Paris are available with a $10 minimum order by calling 515-0507.

The Brew-Ha is not the first venture of this type for the sisters. Several years ago they ran D Jack’s Coffee Shack in South Paris. “A lot has changed in the quality of coffee, the number of flavors available and how it’s brewed since those days,” Said Carroll. “We have so much more to offer our customers now.”

When they are not baking and serving coffee, Bennett and Carroll are Therapeutic Foster Care specialists. “We’ve been involved with foster children for years and it’s really gratifying to help these kids, but we really love doing this too,” says Carroll.

The Brew-Ha is currently open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and plans are to expand those hours as well as the menu in the near future.

“Starting in September we’ll be open until 7 p.m. daily and on Saturdays too,” said Bennett. “As well as the usual fare, we’re going to add things like beef stew, bread bowls, macaroni and cheese, chili and a few other food items.” The new hours and menu will provide three new jobs for area students.

“Once school starts,” added Carroll “we’ll be offering some student specials and a discount card for teachers.” The coffee shop is directly across the street from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in the former Mini Apple building.

All veterans can get a coffee of any size for only $1. Coffee cards are available to customers and, after 10 coffee purchases have been made, the customer not only gets a free coffee, but they go into a monthly drawing for a free lunch.

“Another goal we have is to have tables and chairs outside,” says Bennett. “That will probably have to wait until spring. There are various approvals that you have to get from the state before you can serve food outside, but we’re hopeful we can get everything in place.”

“For right now we’re pretty happy with the way things are going,” offers Carroll. “We’re doing what we love to do and it really is all about the people.”