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Blackberry's Aims to Offer Coffee - And Much Moreby KRISTEN ARMSTRONG, Staff Writer |
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| Step into Blackberry's Coffee
Shop & Marketplace for a cup of joe, and you might do a double-take to
make sure you're in the right store. Blackberry's is not your average
coffee shop. With locations in Purcellville and Haymarket, the combination coffee shop and home furnishings and design store allows customers to buy a drink, then enjoy it while sitting on furniture they actually can buy. The store has a home-design center and a professional decorator on hand. Customers can speak with a design specialist at the Purcellville location from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Haymarket location will offer this service in the near future. Handmade jewelry, greeting cards and bath-and-body products among other items also for sale. Business partners Kim Kendall and Jennifer Jenkins wanted to marry a coffee bar with a high-end home design and furnishings store, to create a balance between a high-foot-traffic business with a business selling higher-ticket items. “I just think we've created something special,” Kendall said. The inspiration for the name Blackberry's came from “black” being a classic design color, and “berry” because coffee comes from a berry. Blackberry's first opened in a small space in Purcellville in 2005, moving to 4,000-square-foot space a year later. In 2006, Kendall and Jenkins opened Blackberry's Haymarket, which features approximately 2,500 square feet of space. Opening a business was a dream for both Kendall and Jenkins, but they were in very different places of their lives when they entered the business arena together. “[For me] it was a much later dream . . . I was a stay-at-home mom three years ago,” Kendall said. “I have to pinch myself sometimes. I can't believe how it's all turned out.” “I came from corporate America,” Jenkins said. “Both our families had to make sacrifices on opposite sides of the spectrum. My husband does the laundry now!” Being part of the community is a priority for the two Loudoun County residents. “Our long-term goal is to be part of the revitalization of downtown districts,” Jenkins said. “We've been to a lot of Main Street meetings.” One aspect of Blackberry's that its owners are particularly proud of its inclusiveness. “We have something for everyone, at every price point, in every style,” Jenkins said. They've also loved interacting with the many gifted women they've met through their business dealings. “One thing that's been enjoyable is seeing how many talented women there are out there,” Kendall said. “Women are really coming into their own.” Kendall and Jenkins are eager to keep their business growing and find it challenging to hold back sometimes. “Sometimes we try to do too much!” Kendall said. But the two owners said they believe they have a solid plan of action, and will continue to move forward. “We're already scoping out where [store] No. 3 is going,” Jenkins said. |
 Blackberry’s Coffee Shop & Marketplace owners Jennifer Jenkins and Kim Kendall offer their customers a relaxing atmosphere to have a cup of coffee, but also give them the chance to buy furniture and home goods. (Photo by Kristen Armstrong) |