A vision as well as a passion has finally come to fruition for Lisa May and her partner Alan Allen. The owners and founders of Seed 2Cup opened their brick-and-mortar location in mid-March, a feat which has been close to three years in the making.

Now open at 700 E. F St., Oakdale, the owners first took possession of the spot in April of 2021. Fueled by their commitment to seeing their vision of “Coffee with a Conscience” through, that day has indeed arrived.

“It took us a while to get here,” Allen stated. “What I share with everybody, when you see our passion for what we put in the cup and you see our passion for what we put on the plate, you’ll understand what we mean by Seed 2Cup.”

The quaint coffee shop on the east side of Oakdale is proving to be what many community members have been waiting for. Anchored by the love of coffee, Seed 2Cup also offers a variety of other beverages as well as pastries and a small menu of tasty treats. That, accompanied by a welcoming dine in space, has seen many community members spotted using the location for remote work.

While the menu is small, the commitment to quality remains constant with the couple, sourcing much of their produce from local growers and making everything fresh.

“With this there comes a lot of hiccups,” Allen said of the approach to and all things fresh. “We may have the rainbow carrots yesterday, but we don’t have them today.”

“Things change with the season,” May added of the fresh food offerings.

“We are a commercial kitchen; however, I wish we had more space. It’s a want, not a need. We have everything we need,” Allen noted of the addition of offering food to their initial coffee shop plan.

The couple shared the food offerings are intended primarily as simple bites to accompany a customer’s coffee, glass of wine or even a pint of beer.

“We’re trying to be as natural as we can,” May added.

“When you have coffee, there is coffee with a conscience,” Allen continued. “There’s a great coffee at your disposal.”

The couple takes great pride in sourcing coffee from growers and roasters who not only grow quality beans but also treat their employees well both ethically and financially.

That would be the “Conscience” portion of their mission of “Coffee with a Conscience,” being able to educate customers on the process from seed to the cup.

“We’re education driven. If someone wants to come in and learn about the coffee, we will talk about the coffee,” Allen said of their mission and sharing it. “They can come in and have a cupping and taste the coffee. Learn where it comes from, where it’s sourced. We give that educational perspective if that’s what they want.”

With hours of operation from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the duo noted creating a family friendly atmosphere with a welcoming vibe was what was most important for them opening the shop.

“We want you to be able to come with your girlfriends or me to come with my guy friends or someone with their foster kids or their dogs to just have a place to go,” he noted.

With just a handful of weeks under their belt in the storefront, the couple shared they look forward to expanding their wine offerings as well as hosting wine tastings and educational events.

With a love for the community and interacting with people, they also have a number of events planned for the future. Currently they offer live music every Friday and Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This Saturday, April 14 they also plan to host a Rodeo Parade Buffet complete with breakfast and a beverage for those out enjoying the parade and Rodeo fun. The event will be hosted from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the cost is $25 per person.

“It’s about creating that reason for them to come in,” Allen shared about opening the shop, as well as hosting events. “It’s been a lot simpler than I had thought. I think that’s because we cut our teeth doing pop-ups.”

And “cut their teeth” they did. Prior to the opening of the shop, May and Allen could be seen at a number of events serving coffee from their pop-up equipment

“People understood our coffee by the time it came to fruition,” he continued of the brick and mortar. “People knew who we were, where we could be found, we want your coffee, it’s just good.”

“We’re not fast food and we’re not fast coffee,” May shared with a chuckle.

Currently Seed 2Cup is staffed by May, Allen and a few family members. All while Allen and May maintain their primary jobs as a contractor and a hair stylist.

As they transition from the pop-up hustle which put them on the map as an Oakdale business, to showing up to a designated space each day, both shared being beyond pleased with the overall outcome of the space.

“It kind of just fell together,” May said of the simple, yet welcoming space.

“This place is very community based. Alan is a talker, he went out and he was hitting the ground,” she continued.

“I truly believe my gift is service,” Allen said. “That’s in my heart. As an ambassador for the Chamber, I also feel you need to lead by example. It’s our duty to our community to lead by example. I take it serious.”

As for food favorites to accompany one’s coffee, the couple agreed it’s hands down the blueberry muffin.

“People love the blueberry muffins,” Allen said, which are homemade by May. “Every day that case is generally sold out. This is definitely a work of love and we love what we do.”

“We want everyone to be welcome,” May said of the overall goal for the coffee shop and the space. “A relaxing place, with an educational purpose.”

“We want you to be able to come, you don’t have to buy anything,” Allen added. “Just come in and sit down and enjoy yourself. I don’t want to be known as a restaurant. I just want to be known as a coffee shop and everything we do, we do great.”