Fonks Coffeehouse starts anew

Colfax - The doors of Fonks Coffeehouse are back open as of Monday, Nov. 11, after complete reconstruction.

The coffee shop located at 112 North Main Street burned down in a fire on March 17, 2020.

Customers could be seen ordering Monday morning and sitting in the building as co-owner Amy Warwick happily greeted and took their orders.

"We're happy to be back," Warwick said. "We're excited to see all of our people."

Barista Natalia Meyerhofer who was making coffee by Warwick's side.

"It's been a long time coming," Meyerhofer said. "It's nice to be back with my bud."

The coffee shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The building had to be completely reconstructed, Warwick said.

Construction included rebuilding a new foundation and new framing.

"We have a completely brand new space," she said, noting it is the same location.

"We were able to double the indoor seating," she said, adding that the business has future plans for an outdoor courtyard to come the summer of 2025.

The outdoor courtyard, located behind the building, will serve as additional seating.

Warwick said they have always knew they wanted to rebuild Fonks Coffeehouse.

"There were a lot of hoops we had to jump through so we hit some roadblocks and then we would end up taking a different angle at it," she said.

Construction broke in August 2023 with local construction company White Pine Construction.

"We really tried to stay with our local contractors to support the community that has support us," Warwick said.

The first day brought in a lot people, Warwick said, adding it kept the staff busy.

"We are happy to be back and see all of our previous customers and the support," she said. "It's been a long four and a half years and we're happy to be back in the community serving the people that have supported us."

Warwick said that the trauma of the 2020 fire to them, and the community as a whole, is what drove them to get the business up and running.

"We just really wanted to bring it back for them," she said. "It was a devastation for everybody."

Warwick is thankful for the community and the support.

"It has meant a lot to us and kept our drive going to bring it back."

The coffee shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.