The Daily Grind coffee shop recently opened the doors of its new location at 1 South Church Street, Quarryville.
Southern Lancaster County residents like my family and me waited in great anticipation for the new store opening for a few months while renovations were underway at the historic bank building. The new location has revived a historic piece of Quarryville’s history. The nearly 100-year-old building pictured below was originally the Quarryville National Bank and, most recently, a Wells Fargo bank.
The Quarryville National Bank (the new location of the Daily Grind) is pictured on the right. The photo is from the Quarryville Borough.
Transformation From Bank To Coffee Shop
In 2023, the building was bought by the Ecklin Development Group, and soon after, Andrew and Jessica Morgan, the owners of the Daily Grind, agreed to move into the new space. Andrew was kind enough to take a few moments and tell me about the renovation process, his favorite parts of the new location, and the inside scoop on the fun artwork on the walls.
Ben– When you’re designing this new place and putting it all together, is that a joint effort between you and the owners of the building? How did that work?
Andrew– Yeah, so Rob Eklund’s wife Wendy, was a huge help with working with Jessica. They took over a lot of the construction renovation, making sure the integrity of the building was kept and all that kind of stuff. They took on a major part of that project.
Elegance with Personality
The building retains many of the original elements, with the high ceilings, the ornate moldings, and the words “Quarryville National Bank” still visible on the heavy vault door. Andrew and Jessica coupled the historical features with creative and beautiful additions to the space.
The artwork hanging from the walls contains large portraits with elaborate, golden frames, where, in a historic building like this, you would expect to find a painting of a founder or big-pocket donor. Instead, you find a dog sipping matcha and a mule sipping iced coffee. I asked Andrew about the artwork.
Ben– My favorite part about the new place is the art on the wall. How did you choose this artwork?
Andrew– My wife made those. She used ChatGPT, and she put in what she wanted and actually created those. They each have a different meaning. The German short-haired pointer is my son and daughter-in-law’s dog, and it’s drinking matcha, which is my daughter-in-law, Kyra’s favorite drink. The butterfly in the picture represents her mother. And then the flowers are for her sister.
He explained the significance of the other pieces, each representing a family member, a close friend, or, in the case of the mule, a nod to the Solanco school district’s mascot. It was fun to hear the thoughtful and personal details added to each picture. And more than that, the artwork adds a light-hearted touch to the otherwise more polished and elegant atmosphere, and shows the down-to-earth personality of Andrew, Jessica, and the rest of the staff.
Our First Visit
My family visited the new location only five days after the grand opening. As we walked in, our eyes were immediately drawn to the high ceiling, the golden chandelier, and the massive windows. Once we took in the grandeur of the space, we were able to notice the other details of the new shop- how they repurposed the bank teller windows to places where you pick up your food and beverage orders, how they added a small play kitchen for kids, and how they added a nursing room for mothers.
For our family, the Daily Grind has always been our first choice for a breakfast outing as a family. Our kids were excited when we showed them pictures of the new location, but wondered if the new place would still have their favorite menu items. When we arrived for our visit, my son was relieved that the new menu still included his favorite sandwich, a sausage, egg, and cheese on a plain bagel, and my daughter’s eyes lit up when she saw the same chocolate chip muffin. I, on the other hand, was excited to see a new item on the menu.
Ramones Burrito
Ben– My new favorite item is Ramone’s breakfast burrito. I saw on an Instagram post that you found a similar burrito when you went out to California to visit your son. Is he part of the Marine Corps?
Andrew– He is in the Marine Corps.
Ben– Okay. I figured as much since he was there at Camp Pendleton. Tell him I said thank you for his service and also thank you for introducing my new favorite item on the menu!
Andrew-. Yeah, it’s incredible. They do a great job out there, and I can only hope to come close to what they have.
The burrito includes chorizo sausage, bell pepper, potatoes, eggs, and cheddar cheese. We were there fairly early in the morning, and I could only finish half of the burrito. That was just fine with me! I heated the other half up for lunch.
Closer To The Quarryville Family Restaurant
For Andrew and Jessica, the move to the new location also means a move closer to their other restaurant. They are partners at The Quarryville Family Restaurant at 134 E. State St., a 5-minute walk down the road.
I was catching Andrew on a delivery day, while he was simultaneously helping deliver supplies to the Quarryville Family Restaurant and the Daily Grind. One of the employees joked that Andrew should get a Segway so he can cruise between the two locations.
For The Community
The Daily Grind is important to the local community. When the cafe announced “We’re BACK, Quarryville!” on social media, the Facebook posts received over 1,400 likes and 240 comments. This is just a small indicator of the connection that people feel to the local southern Lancaster County cafe.
Andrew hopes that the new space will bring an elevated customer experience and great space for the community to gather.
Ben– What’s your favorite part about the new location?
Andrew- The size. Everything flows a lot better.
Ben– What do you hope this new space adds to the community?
Andrew– Just a more pleasant gathering atmosphere where people can come together, have a cup of coffee, and just enjoy themselves and the company of others.
The Daily Grind Quarryville has always been a place where people can gather and enjoy each other’s company, but now we can do so in their beautifully renovated building.
