The Place We Gather

At just 18 years old, Reagan Murphree is helping bring people back to a corner of downtown Byron that was forever changed by a devastating fire in 2012. With Riverview Coffee, she’s building more than a coffee shop; she’s creating a place to gather, connect and believe in community again. And while the dream may be hers, Reagan is learning that some of the best things are never built alone.

ALLIÉ: Before there was Riverview Coffee, there was simply an idea. Do you remember the moment when this stopped being something you thought would be a cool thing to do someday and became something you knew you were actually going to do? When was that moment?
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REAGAN: Honestly, looking back now, it’s such a blur. Riverview started as a conversation between my stepdad, Rob, and me. At the time, I was taking a marketing and entrepreneurship class because I kind of always knew I wanted to go into business. I just wasn’t quite sure how it would happen.

We were talking about it, and he was like, “Okay, start throwing some numbers together. Start figuring out a menu,” that kind of stuff. So I’d been working on that for a while. Then we started meeting with Foster Coffee in Owosso and talking about creating a partnership where we could get our coffee and syrups from them. I remember going home that day and having real numbers, a real partnership, and being like, “Whoa. Okay, this is real. This is happening.”

Then we met with the Village of Byron and brought our idea to them. I had created a business plan, we got approved, and it was happening. We met with a builder. We got in contact with you guys at Lionbear Ventures about financing. Everything just started coming together. It happened so fast. It was truly surreal, honestly.

ALLIÉ: I love how you share this story because it started with a conversation. You were sitting down, talking with your stepdad, looking at some numbers, asking questions, meeting with people, and then this just came to be. You’ve opened Riverview Coffee on a corner that carries a lot of history for Byron. After the 2012 fire, that part of downtown lost businesses, foot traffic and, in many ways, a place for people to naturally come together. So what does it mean to you, Reagan, to be creating something new in a place where so much was lost?

REAGAN: Honestly, for me, it’s so big because I’ve grown up in Byron. I came here when I was in kindergarten, which was right around the time the fire happened, so I didn’t really know Byron before the fire. It had kind of always just been an empty lot to me.
I remember going to church services there as a kid. I was actually baptized right on that corner, which is incredible.

But now, the fact that this is a place where people are coming every day, driving onto that lot to get their coffee, is so special to me. People constantly say, “Our community needed this,” and they’re so happy to have something right there.

Byron is very fortunate to have Matador’s Pizza, which is phenomenal pizza, by the way. We have The Dam Twist, there’s a salon, we have the gas station and a few other local businesses, but there was nothing where people could really make it part of their daily routine to stay in town, support local and be there.

So it’s just so special to me that people have even heard about Byron now through social media and through my story. It’s really special.

ALLIÉ: I can imagine. And the fact that you were baptized on that same corner, I mean, that’s kind of wild.

REAGAN: I know. It’s crazy. It gives me chills just thinking about it, honestly.

ALLIÉ: What I love about your vision, and what you’ve shared on your website, is that you didn’t simply talk about opening a coffee shop. You talked about giving people a place to meet, to laugh, to reconnect. So I want to go back to another certain moment. When Riverview Coffee served its very first cup of coffee, what did that feel like?

REAGAN: Honestly, just incredible. I can vividly remember who it was. It was the night before our opening day, and it was my stepdad’s best friend. They came by, and after their first sip, I remember them just being speechless. They were like, “That was amazing.”

It cracks me up how many people say, “It’s so nice to just have coffee,” but then they’re like, “This coffee is actually good. I love this coffee. I crave it.” And when people say that, it genuinely makes me feel so good. Yes, we’re here to build up the community and have a place for people, but it’s so special to me that people genuinely love the product, too.

Serving that first coffee, it was probably 10 o’clock at night. They came by just to see me and say hi because they saw my car there, and I made them a drink. It was such a special moment for me. It was truly amazing.

ALLIÉ: I’m sure that’s one you’ll never forget. What I won’t forget is that not only do you make good coffee, but you make good chai lattes. Thank you so much. I still have a beautiful memory of that. It was delicious.

So let’s talk about courage, because having the courage to begin is one thing, but knowing how to begin is very much another. You mentioned Lionbear Ventures a moment ago. As you started turning this dream into an actual business, Lionbear came alongside you with support that included helping to secure the startup funds and providing support for the technology. How much did it mean to discover that building something of your own didn’t mean you had to build it all on your own?

REAGAN: Hearing you say it that way is such an amazing perspective because it’s so true. I would not be here if it weren’t for everybody who poured into me.

I remember meeting with Lionbear. I don’t remember exactly who I met with, but the moment I got to sign that paper with you guys, I just felt so much support from everybody.

It’s incredible. I truly couldn’t be here without other people. My family, all of the different businesses that supported me. Our plumbing was done by local people, Byron Plumbing specifically. The building was built by my middle school teacher. After he retired, he went into construction, and he and one of his people literally built us from the ground up.

Even our gravel is from one of my mom’s students’ dads. Everything that has to do with Riverview is community. It is local. And that’s just so special to me. It’s so important to me, too.

The I-69 RDC played such a huge role in helping turn Riverview Coffee from an idea on paper into the coffee shop it is today. Receiving a loan through I-69 helped us cover important startup and operating costs during those first few months, and without that support, my dream may not have become a reality.

I also had the opportunity to work with Jessalyn Taylor at Lionbear Ventures, who helped me learn more about inventory management and tracking. I-69 has truly been such a blessing to work with, and I’m grateful for the support, resources and people behind the organization who are invested in helping small businesses succeed.
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​ALLIÉ: That’s such a beautiful story. And then there’s the fact that you’re 18. You just graduated high school a few months ago and celebrated your 18th birthday back in March, and you’re already creating something that is becoming part of the fabric of Byron, your hometown, and I would imagine will be for years to come.

So, my last question for you today, Reagan, is this: Years from now, when you look back at this chapter of your life, what do you hope Riverview Coffee will have taught you about what’s possible when you believe enough in an idea to actually begin it?

REAGAN: Honestly, I feel like I’m going to look back at myself now and be like, “Holy cow, I’ve come so far.”
I mean, I even think about looking back to November. I remember the day we opened. All I had scheduled that day was a health department visit, and I’ll never forget when she said, “Well, you can officially be open now.” And I was like, “I can?”

So we went out, bought a few gallons of milk and flipped on the open sign.

Even from then to now, I feel like there’s been so much growth. And you’re hearing it first, but I’m now going to start selling our coffee beans, which are from Foster Coffee, with our logo on them. Every day, I feel like I just take another little step forward and continue to grow.

I feel like a few years from now, looking back, I’m going to be amazed just seeing how far I’ve come. It’s crazy to think about. I truly have no idea where I’m going to be. I don’t know if I’ll continue Riverview Coffee into adulthood. I mean, I absolutely would love to, but we’ll see. I don’t know where life is going to take me.

But this stage of life has truly just been magical. Every morning, I wake up at like 4:30, go make coffees and get to talk to people. It’s so special. It truly is. I just adore it so much. ∎​
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Learn more about Riverview Coffee: www.riverview-coffee.com
Follow on Instagram: ​@riverview_coffee

Learn more about I-69 RDC: i69mi.us
Follow on Instagram: @i69rdc_mi