Carlisle’s Coffee and Sandwiches opened its doors bright and early Feb. 6, 2017. Located on High Street in Waynesburg, the shop has been a hit ever since.
The shop, which is owned by Caitlin Carlisle and her husband Ken of Rogersville, Pennsylvania, quickly gained popularity among members of the community.
Many customers visited Carlisle’s on opening day to check out the newest addition to the main drag of Waynesburg and customers have continued to visit the shop since then.
Business has been great since opening the shop, said Carlisle.
“We are very happy with the amount of business we have and that it is steady through the day,” Carlisle said. “It’s interesting to see the different crowds through the day – business people, families [and] students.”
Opening Carlisle’s Coffee and Sandwiches was more than just another business endeavor for the couple as they had high hopes of meeting the needs of the Waynesburg community.
“When Ken decided this is the next business he wanted to start it was from identifying what the downtown lacked and what it seemed that the community wanted and needed,” said Carlisle. “There was a lot of hoping that we had identified all this correctly and we were meeting an actual need of downtown. We’ve been very pleased that our instincts were correct.”
The menu at Carlisle’s Coffee and Sandwiches consists of coffee and sandwiches of course, as well as soup and a salad bar.
“The foundation of this business is to have high quality, fresh food that can easily fit into your day, but still feel special,” said Carlisle. “The items currently on our menu are our top sellers and best combinations.”
It takes a lot of convincing to get them to add anything to their menu. A lot of people already have their own variations of the menu items though, which makes it hard to get bored when ordering, says Carlisle.
If they have the ingredients, they will make it for you.
One very special menu item, the “Stinger Sandwich,” will be making its debut in the near future, said Carlisle. A contest to determine the ingredients of the sandwich was recently held in the shop and on Facebook. The contest quickly gained popularity and the results will soon be announced to the public.
“We wanted the students at the university to feel at home with us, and we wanted the university to see that we are thankful for their continued support,” said Carlisle. “A clear winner emerged from the contest and we have been testing it and it’s amazing. It will probably be a finals week special announcement.”
Keep an eye out for the debut of the “Stinger Sandwich” – a tribute to Waynesburg University.
Carlisle could not believe the overwhelming support that the shop has received since opening back in February.
“People now feel very at home here and we feel like we are a part of people’s lives,” Carlisle said. “I thought it would take longer for this to set in, but the customers have been so enthusiastic.”
Carlisle’s Coffee and Sandwiches is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Fridays the shop is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The shop is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Finals week for Waynesburg University students begins on Monday, April 24, and Carlisle knows that it’s a hectic and stressful time for everyone involved. Carlisle’s will be extending its hours and staying open until 11 p.m. that week for university students only.
“It’s possible that we are the only ones excited about finals week,” Carlisle said. “Brewed coffee on the house and we will have limited menu options available. Study, hang out, relax. Please have your IDs with you if you stop after hours – we want to keep everyone safe.”
The owners of Carlisle’s Coffee and Sandwiches are pleased and grateful of the continued support from the Waynesburg community.
Carlisle’s is on the lookout for some “new, awesome things” to add to the walls inside the shop, said Carlisle. Those artists looking to leave an impact on their college town before graduating now have an opportunity to do so. Contact Carlisle’s for mor