Take a seat at The Porch Coffee Co., Valley’s newest coffee shop

BY SAM VISE

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

VALLEY — Something new is brewing at 1909 41st St. East in Valley. Step through the front door of The Porch Coffee Co., and the atmosphere feels far more like a cozy living room than a commercial cafe. 

Soft light fills the space, inviting couches beckon visitors to sink in and the gentle clatter of checker pieces mingles with the hum of espresso grinders. It is not uncommon to see customers who walk in as strangers push tables together mid-visit, engrossed in conversation as if they have been friends for years.

For owners Rachel and David Templeton, that front-porch warmth is exactly what they envisioned.

“The way I got the name ‘The Porch’ was because I felt like the porch was a very welcoming statement,” Rachel Templeton said. “It’s a way for the community to come over and visit, and I want it to feel like home.”

That philosophy has deep, personal roots tied to David’s late father, Tony Templeton, whose memory and welcoming spirit remain central to the shop.

“He was a vision in all of this for me, too,” Rachel said. “[Tony] and I shared a love of coffee. We would sit on his front porch and drink coffee together, and friends and neighbors would come over a lot of times, and we’d just sit and chat. I kind of wanted to bring that same feeling here.”

The couple, who moved to Valley about two years ago from upstate South Carolina after David was called to pastor Word of Life Tabernacle, bought the property in March. The building, formerly an old mill house, required major renovations to transform four partitioned rooms into a bright, open gathering hub.

“We were looking for something we could do to engage with the community and have something to do together we both loved, because we both had a love for coffee,” Rachel said.

While David is a local pastor, Rachel said opening the business was simply about loving their neighbors and creating a welcoming space for all.

“Mission-wise, a lot of people think because he’s a pastor that maybe we did this as an outreach, but it was nothing like that for us,” she said. “It was just wanting to be a part of this community and getting to meet so many different people. And if we get to share our love for the Lord here too, that’s an added bonus. But it’s just really nice to be able to engage the community and make everyone feel welcome when they come here.”

That home-grown care extends straight to the menu — Rachel handcrafts many of her seasonal and signature flavors in house.

Offerings include The Veranda, a smooth cold brew topped with house-made maple sweet cream; The Porch Swing, a refreshing blend of lemonade, blackberry and coconut milk; a Bloomberry Matcha; and the Dulce de Porch, crafted with a caramel-sweet dulce sauce.

Rachel’s personal favorite is the Brown Sugar Rose, an inventive sweet-and-savory combination of brown sugar and house-made rosemary syrup. 

For food, the shop keeps it fresh serving loaded avocado toast alongside breakfast and lunch sandwiches — like bacon, egg and cheese or chicken salad — served on bagels or flaky croissants. The couple said once the weather cools down, they plan to serve soups for lunch as well. 

Frequent visitors can also sign up for a customer loyalty rewards program to earn perks on their daily brew. The shop features a retail corner with curated gift items and custom-designed apparel as well.

Between raising four children and serving the local church, Rachel and David currently manage and run the day-to-day coffee shop operations as a duo, pacing their staffing needs as they gauge community demand.

Looking ahead, the Templetons plan to introduce evening events called Porch After Dark at the shop’s fire pit, featuring s’mores nights for local families and students.

The community will have an official opportunity to celebrate the new gathering spot during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 11:30 a.m. ET, featuring prize giveaways. 

The Porch Coffee Co. is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. For more details or to view the full menu, visit theporchcoffeeco.com/ or find the shop on Facebook.