22 years of Java Jar
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TORRINGTON – The story of the three friends who started the Java Jar 22 years ago, and continue to operate it today, has all the makings of a Hollywood feel good movie. The three women, Julie Haught, Kris Brooks and Patty Harmon turned on its head one of the oldest rules of entrepreneurship , “Don’t go into business with your friends or family,” and made the Java Jar one of the most iconic gathering places in southeast Wyoming. But according to Harmon, their dream didn’t start out to open a coffee shop.
“We wanted to open a craft store,” she said. “We are all pretty artsy-crafty but it didn’t turn out like we planned.”
Harmon and Haught’s kids are about the same age and they travelled to the kids baseball games together and the three friends played coed softball together, though not always on the
same team.
“We were at a baseball game together in Nebraska,” explained Haught. “Between games we went into a little coffee shop and thought ‘we could do this.’”
“We were going to have a little shop where we could sell out crafts and serve coffee,” added Harmon. “My husband’s been moving the same boxes of crafts around our house for 20 years now. We still talk about having a little spot to sell crafts.”
For almost 20 years the original Java Jar was located was one block south of where they are now on 21st and Main, until Goshen County Economic Development Company started remodeling the building where The Clothing Store had hung out its sign. The move has paid big dividends for the trio.