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Conversation.
Community.
Custom Coffee.

We’re proud to offer a variety of delicious espresso and coffee drinks, plus all kinds of smoothies, ice cream and tasty, healthy, local food.
What makes us different, though, is how we promote community conversations in Mt. Gilead, N.C.

Community

Conversation

Custom Coffee

We’re Kyle and Myra Poplin, the owners of Speckled Paw Coffee, and we formerly published a monthly news magazine. We loved helping keep people informed and, especially, the community conversations that resulted from thoughtful news stories. We’ve seen how civilized discussion – as opposed to yelling and screaming on social media – can help bring a community together. What’s that got to do with a coffee shop? Read on…

You remember your cool hometown newspaper? Well, it’s gone … and it’s not coming back. (Curses to you, internet!) There’s a news void  in small towns that’s being filled in a variety of ways. One of those ways, we think, is the local coffee shop. Our coffee shops are not only places where news is discussed, but also where news is packaged for the entire community to read.  That’s what our newsletters are all about.

We like small towns. We like coffee shops. We think those two things blend quite well. Our goal is to provide great food and drink in a comfortable space with excellent service. We hooked up with the best coffee roaster (thanks, Cactus Creek) and bakers in the area. Our coffee and treats are definitely big-city quality. The trick is, we serve them with a small-town, down-home touch. Stop in and we’ll prove it.

Check out our newsletter!

Finding your fit: Exploring rural churches

John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com. Under any circumstances, choosing a church can feel like a daunting task, but for newcomers to a rural area the typical issues of theological...

We Need You at the Mount Gilead Gathering Garden!

Many of you know that I help organize and run The Gathering Garden (TGG), Mount Gilead’s Community Garden in the heart of downtown. This organic community garden is not just a plot of land where plants grow; it's a vibrant, inclusive space where our neighbors come...

Living with Japangst

John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com. The 1980s were a period of dramatic economic transformation in the United States. As the smokestacks of American industry sputtered, a new...

Sourcing Native Plants is Worthwhile but Difficult

Embarking on the journey to incorporate more native plants into your garden is a commendable and environmentally conscious decision. However, finding these plants can often pose a challenge, especially when trying to source them sustainably and ethically. The golden...

A RESOLUTION HONORING ROBERT “BOB” LOWDERMILK

The following resolution was read aloud by Mayor Sheldon Poplin Morley at the April 2 Town Board meeting:

The war of the pears

John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com. I moved to North Carolina in late February 1995. A couple of weeks after I arrived, the trees along the streets of our suburban neighborhood...

Poison Ivy is One of Our Most Misunderstood Plants

Poison ivy, a plant often met with a mix of fascination and dread, holds a unique place in the natural world and in our gardens. Known scientifically as a member of the sumac family, this plant is a native species that plays a significant ecological role despite its...

Have you any dreams you’d like to sell?

John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com. Like many writers, I keep a notebook and pen on the nightstand next to my bed to jot down ideas that come to me in the middle of the night....

The Benefits of Using a Hayfork in the Garden

Conventional wisdom says we need to till our garden every season. Maintaining healthy soil is paramount for the flourishing of plants. While tilling has been a traditional approach, an alternative method known as forking offers a less disruptive yet highly effective...

The drop-bed pickup that wasn’t

John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com. It's Halloween, 1990. “Ice, Ice Baby” is the No. 1 song in the country, “Rosanne” is the most popular show on television, the Cincinnati Reds...

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