MERRILL, MI – About three years ago, demolition began inside a building located in downtown Merrill owned by the Woods family. Whenever they had extra time outside of their full-time jobs, they would work on the coffee shop, Chloe Woods said.
Chloe Woods was going to college in St. Augustine, Florida and graduated right as COVID-19 hit the United States.
“It was scary for all of us, even the beaches were shut down,” Maureen Woods, mother of Chloe, said. “We were all like, ‘What do we do now?’”
Maureen Woods said they decided Chloe Woods would come home and they would open a coffee shop together.
Mo Coco’s Coffee opened by the mother-and-daughter team on January 8, 2024 located at 104 E. Saginaw Street.
While Chloe graduated in the field coastal environmental science and is now running a coffee shop, she said she does still get to utilize some of her degree.
“I was actually surprised at how much science is involved in the roasting aspect,” Chloe Woods said.
At Mo Coco’s Coffee, they roast the coffee whether a customer wants to just purchase a drink from the counter or a bag of beans, it’s all roasted in-house.
Maureen Woods said it allows for more control over the product and it piqued their interest the most to be able to experiment with flavors and offer the freshest coffee they can.
The Mo Coco’s Coffee drip coffee and lattes are the most popular picks so far, Maureen Woods said. They make all their syrups in-house for the lattes.
As for the homemade bites to eat, the cinnamon rolls, muffins and energy bites have risen to the top. Maureen Woods said they do keep switching up what food products are available since they are brand new.
Live Oak Coffeehouse, located in Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, has been a huge help in Mo Coco’s Coffee growth, Maureen Woods said.
“They’re just amazing people and they share our love for community,” Marueen Woods said. “They just inspire us in so many ways.”
Mo Coco’s Coffee currently has a book club and host other events that Maureen Woods hopes to grow, such as knitting groups, coffee painting classes and like-minded things.
“We like the social aspect and the community aspect,” Maureen Woods said. “We really needed this here.”
View their website here and their Facebook page here.
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