AKay’s Coffee is creating a new opportunity for Pike Road residents to shop local, meet area makers and spend time together as a community with the launch of Gather & Made at Merry Corners.
The new community market begins Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at AKay’s Coffee, 9522 Vaughn Road in Pike Road. Gather & Made is planned for every other Saturday and will feature a changing mix of local makers, artisans, bakers, food vendors and small businesses.
For AKay’s Coffee owner Beth O’Meara, the market is about much more than providing another place to shop. She said it grows directly out of the mission she envisioned for the coffee shop: creating a place where relationships and community can develop.
“At AKay’s Coffee we have always felt called to create community,” O’Meara said. “We were never meant to be alone. Supporting our community members and showcasing their talents is a blessing that we can do to raise people up.”
O’Meara said even something as simple as providing a physical space where people can share what they make can have a meaningful impact on local families.
“My goal has been to create a space where people can gather, fellowship and support one another,” she said. “We pray we are able to bring people together and celebrate people’s talents.”
The name Gather & Made reflects that goal: gathering the community in one place to discover what their neighbors are making.
“Gather and Made came from literally gathering people together to show what they can make,” O’Meara said. “Essentially, I wanted to create a space that brings our community together, supports local makers and gives people a place to slow down, connect and discover the talented people right here in our own community.”
The market will provide an additional outlet for small-scale entrepreneurs, including home bakers and other makers who may not have a traditional storefront or regular retail location.
O’Meara said that opportunity is especially important for bakers operating under Alabama’s cottage food rules, providing another way for them to connect directly with customers.
“This event allows people — the bakers specifically — to sell a product directly to the public that they otherwise may not be able to have access to because of Cottage Law licensing,” O’Meara said. “This turns around and helps them support their families.”
The inaugural Gather & Made market will include Cumby Days Cookies, Dixie Lee Designs, Paints By Paisley, The Daily Loaf, Kenzies Thread Co, Hello Cute Illustrations, Sweetly Dipped by Stacey, 4C Farms and Pounds Meat Wagon. A Boy Scouts troop will also participate.
The mix gives visitors an opportunity to browse handmade and locally produced goods, find something to eat and learn more about the people and small businesses operating within the community.
Saturday’s kickoff will have an additional community connection. AKay’s will use the event to help support local children preparing to travel to France for the ICO tournament, adding a fundraising and support component to the market’s opening day.
That effort fits with O’Meara’s larger vision for Gather & Made: using the space and audience AKay’s has developed to help others.
Rather than simply hosting a vendor market, O’Meara hopes Gather & Made becomes a recurring gathering place where residents can meet the people behind local products, support entrepreneurs and spend a Saturday connecting with their neighbors.
The concept also reflects a broader definition of shopping local. Every purchase from a local baker, farmer, artist or maker can directly support someone building a business, developing a talent or helping provide for a family.
For O’Meara, that combination of commerce and connection is exactly what Gather & Made is intended to foster.
The first Gather & Made at Merry Corners will be held Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at AKay’s Coffee, 9522 Vaughn Road in Pike Road. The market is scheduled to return every other Saturday, giving the community an ongoing opportunity to gather, discover local talent and support small businesses.
Learn more about AKay’s Coffee by visiting their website.
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