SOMERSET, Pa. - Logan Paxton's idea for Brewed Awakening was born out of her need for a midday coffee fix in Somerset last year.

Paxton, of Somerset, had a storefront at the time for her Byers Botanicals business, and she found herself going outside town to refill her mug with "a good cup of coffee," she said.

"I felt stuck," she said. "I felt like I had to waste 20, 25 minutes of my (work) day to go find real coffee."

She and her stepmother, Brenda Miller Paxton, decided the best way to fill that void was to serve that coffee themselves.

PHOTO GALLERY | Brewed Awakening Cafe | Grand Opening | Somerset County

They opened Brewed Awakening on North Center Avenue, offering coffees, lattes, teas and macchiatos, among other drinks brewed with the cafe's own "SoCo Blend" made by Commonplace Coffee in Pittsburgh.

Brewed Awakening features Commonplace Coffee beans, which are also sold by the bag, Logan Paxton said.

The Uptown Somerset café was decorated in what Paxton calls her "grandma-esque Bohemian" look. Old furniture is reupholstered in a mid-century style.

Tables and mismatched chairs originate from the same era - and Paxton's botanical plants decorate the space next to animal art. That includes quirky photographs of well-dressed ducks.

"We put raccoon and bear stickers on our drink cups. I want to have a coffeehouse that's weird and quirky and memorable," she said, "because when I travel ... that's what I look for."

Brenda Miller Paxton, of Boswell, spent her career at Somerset Trust Co. before retiring and deciding to launch this "second career." She said she hopes Brewed Awakening offers a welcoming vibe that encourages people to sit down and relax.

The drink menu includes flavored hot and cold drinks. Macchiatos and cappuccinos are made Italian-style with quality espresso. Many of the flavors have evolved based on customers' recommendations, Miller Paxton said.

Brewed Awakening

Baked goods including cinnamon rolls and cookies are featured from Lambcakes Bakery in Johnstown, while homemade biscotti is brought in from New Alexandria-based Missy LaLa's Biscotti, Miller Paxton said.

The pair are planning a rolling breakfast and lunch menu with healthier features such as sandwiches and soups. Made-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches will be staples, they said.

Other items will be featured daily. For example, a turkey and avocado sandwich was featured last week. Wednesday, the lunch special was a meatball sub, Miller Paxton said.

The business employs five people. As it grows, they hope to offer delivery to other Uptown Somerset businesses, they said.

The café was officially welcomed to the neighborhood Wednesday by the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, Somerset Inc., Johnstown Area Regional Industries and Somerset Borough officials.

Somerset Mayor Fred Rosemeyer said it has been a year or so since the previous café closed in town.

He credited the Paxton family for giving the borough a much-needed "gathering place" for residents and visitors to order a drink and relax.

"This fills a need," he said after taking a sip from his pumpkin latte, "and the coffee is excellent."