Citrus and Sage serves as local gathering place
Looking for jazz, coffee, artwork and a place to hold a Girl Scout meeting? Check out Citrus and Sage, an independent coffee shop now open nearly two years in downtown Logan.
When Bart Weimer and his wife Nancy decided to open a coffee shop, both said they agreed they wanted it to be more than just a place for people to come, buy a drink and leave.
“We’re really trying to create a European-style coffee house where people can come and relax, where people can come connect with their community their neighbors,” Weimer said.
To meet that goal, the Weimers decided to let their restaurant serve as a venue for live music, art and community groups. A local artist is featured in monthly art shows, and throughout the week the shop hosts live music, including jazz every Saturday night.
Citrus and Sage also hosts Helicon West, a forum for local writers to read their poetry and literature, held every second and fourth Thursday of the month.
“That’s been really good,” Weimer said. “We’ve really enjoyed our relationship with the people of Helicon West.”
The Weimers keep the building’s attic open to community groups seeking a meeting place. Girl Scouts, parenting groups, Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups have all used the upstairs area form, he said, which can seat up to about 50 people.
The building the shop is located in was built about 100 years ago and was originally a house, Weimer said. In the early 1990s, it was converted into a book store, which eventually went out of business. The house came up for sale two years ago, and the Weimers decided to fulfill a long-held goal of owning a coffee shop.
“When this place came up for sale, we said, ‘It’s now or never. Let’s go,'” Weimer said.
Nancy and Bart both had business experience, but neither had ever run a retail store, and they worried about being able to break into the market and build a clientele. They were concerned about nearby competition: Citrus and Sage is only about a block from Caffe Ibis, a long-established and widely adored coffee shop and roasting company.
Despite these concerns, however, they opened in November 2005 and have seen their business double since then, Weimer said. Both said they were also concerned when a Starbucks opened in Logan, but business didn’t suffer.
Weimer said Citrus and Sage succeeds because it provides a different ambiance and meets different needs than other coffee shops in Logan.
“No place in Logan had this combination,” he said. “It fits the area, and it’s gone extremely well.”
Citrus and Sage has a lot of floor space and seating on the ground floor and a large outside deck. Tables, easy chairs, couches and bookcases are set about inside. Art by locals, much of it for sale, decorates the walls.
Weimer said the shop has a very diverse client base: everyone from high school students to senior citizens. The Weimers want to make the store attractive to parents with small children, so they keep a stock of juices and children’s snacks on hand.
A lot of USU students are frequent customers, Weimer said. Many come to use the free wireless Internet connection or do homework. Once they discover the place, they tend to come back, both to study and to socialize, he said.
Citrus and Sage sells Raven’s Brew coffee, a brand roasted in Alaska. All of their coffee is free-trade certified, Weimer said, which means the coffee farmers, many of whom are in third-world countries, are guaranteed a fair price for their coffee. Many of their coffees are also organic, Weimer said.
Citrus and Sage sells more than just coffee, Weimer points out. It also sells a broad range of teas, including herbal teas, non-caffeinated drinks and desserts.
Citrus and Sage is located at 130 N. 100 East in Logan. It’s open seven days a week.