NEW COFFEE SHOP OPENS WITH HELP FROM THE TUSCALOOSA COMMUNITY

By WVUA 23 Student Reporter Madison MacLean

Monarch Espresso Bar, a new craft coffee shop in the heart of Tuscaloosa, is described as alumni-owned and community powered.  Paul and Audrey Vermilyea met while attending the University of Alabama.  After getting married and moving to Nashville, the couple decided to move back to Tuscaloosa and open a coffee shop much like the ones they saw in the Music City.

The couple created a Kickstarter account that raised over $52,000, an achievement that the couple says is a testament to the Tuscaloosa community.

“It was really neat to see people who felt a connection to the idea even though we didn’t know them personally and just believed in it before they really knew what it would look like,” Audrey Vermilyea said.

Monarch Espresso Bar is located at 714 22nd. Ave. and is open Mon.-Sat. from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.