that formerly housed Clyde Collier Photography. In fact, when Mahon and Broadrick moved in, they kept the dark room wholly intact. “One day—dream world, no promises—I’d love to restore his dark room,” Mahon says. In addition to the best cup of coffee in town, Swift & Finch also serves up tea, smoothies, espresso, baked goods and specialty coffee drinks. (Highly recommended: the Coca-Cola coffee frap and the cinnamon chai). But while coffee is clearly the backbone of Swift & Finch, at its heart is also a genuine desire to bring together a diverse community of people. “Drinking coffee is so much about the flavor of the coffee,” Mahon says, “but it’s also about the experience of holding the cup, who you’re sharing the cup of coffee with, and the conversations you have while you’re drinking coffee.” Ergo, the Swift & Finch experience begins when you walk in the door. Whether you’re a newcomer or a regular, the space
itself feels comfortable, familiar. A bar near the counter lets customers chat with employees while sipping their daily coffee, something you would never see at a Starbucks. Mahon insists, “It’s a really simple
Camp Juliette Low thought, but it’s so important for us that our employees get to know our customers [and] for people to feel known when they walk in the door.” The large tables and living room-style seating facilitates, even encourages, sharing and interaction. You could certainly find a cozy corner to plug in your headphones and ignore the world, but you may find that you don’t want to. As with any business venture, Mahon and Broadrick’s journey has seen its ups and downs. “When you open your own business,” Mahon says, “you open yourself up to a community. You create a place and say, ‘This is what I love. Come share in this with us.’ ” Thankfully, Mahon and Broadrick’s passion for great coffee and helping to fuel the pulse of downtown of Rome has sustained their friendship through inevitable doubt and exhaustion. “I feel very grateful...to get up and do this everyday and be around all of our customers, who are so awesome,” says Mahon. “It’s been living out a dream, which has made it pretty worth it.” VVV Swift & Finch is open Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat. 8-11. For more on their growing selection or a run-of-themill espresso fix, visit them at 600 Broad Street or call 706.237.6750.
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vini vidi vici / v3 magazine