PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2022

shipping containers and the acquisition of bags of coffee beans. A coffee shop in a rural community needs a drive-thru, Gulley decided. That meant acquiring additional land. A house was purchased adjacent to the property and torn down to accommodate more cars. A ravine was filled in. Then there was the little matter of disposing of discarded fuel tanks that were found on the site. “We had to go down 21 feet to remove the dirt,” said Gulley.

Open since November 2021, Gulley called business good but said “we’ve still got a long way to go.” One thing he’s learned since opening is that “people want food. We’re more of a fast casual restaurant now,” said Gulley, touting his Nashville chicken sandwich as an example. That’s a dish with hot (as in peppery hot) chicken tenders withMonterey Jack cheese and pickles between two Belgian waffles. “Two people can make a meal of it,” he said. While the post-COVID worker short age has not been a problem for Gulley, inflation has left its mark. “We haven’t had to raise food prices yet but we’re going to have to. My monthly electric bill went from $600 to $1,400,” he said. What hasn’t changed is that “it’s a cool environment,” he said. “A coffee shop is a cool place to work.” On closer inspection, what you notice first about the Coffee Can is the size of the place. This isn’t your three-tables and-a-counter type of coffee shop. “We have 42 chairs downstairs and 62 on the deck with 20 in the upstairs lounge,” Gulley said. That doesn’t count two little balconies, each with four chairs. All that room can hold a lot of coffee. It also allows for the free flow of ideas.

“I want to bring in artists who could set up a table and show their wares, woodwork, that sort of thing,” said Gulley, motioning to one of the tables in the upstairs lounge. A block down from the Coffee Can is the town’s landmark, Gil’s Supper Club, a restaurant where fried chicken has drawn hungry diners from all over central Illinois since 1962. Now Gulley is hoping that his establishment might develop into an attraction all its own. Coffee Can Bistro Address: 224 N. 2nd St. Drinks: Coffee, tea, chai tea, bubble tea, espresso, hot chocolate Menu: breakfast, lunch and dinner items Hours: M-F, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Website: coffeecan.coffee

‘A COFFEE SHOP IS A COOL PLACE TO WORK’

– Ron Gulley

After the dust settled, COVID-19 hit. The pandemic had an immediate impact on the Coffee Can, recalled Gulley, who saw it as just one more challenge to overcome. He knew the importance of being located on Illinois State Route 116, the road that runs through Hanna City. The state’s daily traffic count at that loca tion was 14,000 vehicles, a number that dropped to 8,000 by the time the Coffee Can was open for business, he said.

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who was born in England, raised in Boston, moved to Peoria to attend Bradley University and decided to stay. He has spent a career in journalism and public relations

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19