Rise & Grind

By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Kelsea Schafer

True fellowship is cultivated in the heart of community. For Cheryl Patton and Rachel Phillips, they found friendship in each other and their place in Montevallo after life dealt them each their fair share of wildcards.

A native of Dallas, Cheryl traveled all across the country helping those less fortunate. For years, she worked as a social worker from assisting the nomadic community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to working with patients in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s community psychiatry program.

She first made the trek to the Yellowhammer State when her husband became a philosophy professor at the University of Montevallo. Commuting more than 30 miles one way proved to be taxing, and Cheryl decided to pull a “180” and look for business opportunities in Montevallo.

“It was hard to work full-time in Birmingham and then still have a life here in Montevallo,” she says. “I really was trying to look for something I could do, so I could be a part of this community.”

Although never having worked in the food industry, she took a leap of faith and opened Eclipse Coffee and Books on Main Street, sparking what would be a successful 16-year venture for her. The niche “watering hole” became a community hub as people from all different walks of life could gather together in a safe haven and bond over beverages and books.

“That is the enduring legacy of Eclipse,” Cheryl says, proudly.

She believes not every good thing must come to an end, but sometimes, life deals a rough hand to play. Cheryl sadly closed the coffee shop on July 27, 2017.

On the other side of the state, Rachel was navigating life as a single mother of three, trying to support her family. An Oak Mountain High School graduate, Rachel has roots deep in Shelby County and always knew this community felt like home.

After attending college for a year, Rachel was blessed with her first-born child and moved to Daphne to get married and raise her growing family. While there, she opened Meri May, which was an online clothing boutique.

Although her marriage did not work out, Rachel braved every challenge thrown her way with her head held high. She sold her business and moved with her children to Montevallo to be closer to family.

Though life was not without its trials, Rachel says she learned a lesson from each experience–one being to appreciate the people God brings into your life.

Jeff Webster, co-founder of Main Street Tavern, met Rachel who was serving his table one evening. After hearing her story, he invited her to work for him at the tavern.

Rachel spent just over four years there learning the ins and outs of the business from waiting tables to bartending to managing the restaurant. She feels so thankful for that experience as it later enabled her to tackle entrepreneurship once again.

She later assumed the position of bar manager at Indigo Cafe and Bar, and as fate would have it, her and Cheryl’s paths crossed one day.

“I knew her as a customer,” Rachel says. “I had no idea she owned Eclipse Coffee and Books, which was closed at the time. She was like, ‘You need to open a coffee shop.’ I was like, ‘What are you thinking?’ I turned around, and my co-manager was like, ‘Do you know who that is?’”

After some persuasion, Cheryl convinced Rachel to go into business with her–the coffee business–and open up their own cafe. The result? Meri Moon–whose name pays tribute to both of their former businesses.

Now open in the former Strand Theater, Meri Moon is a quaint coffee shop and eatery that officially opened for business on July 2, 2024–nearly seven years to the day that Eclipse closed. Looking around, customers will notice the exposed brick and rustic wood elements really elevate the homey atmosphere engulfing the coffee shop.

“I couldn’t imagine going into a generic space. I have to be inspired,” Cheryl says, later adding, “the space exposes the history here, and it’s beautiful.”

The Strand building was home to two other coffee shops before Meri Moon, so opening up shop in the recently renovated space seemed like the perfect card to play, she says. The menu sports a plethora of hand-selected items such as the specialty coffees including cappuccinos, cold brews, cappuccinos and lattes, but teas, smoothies and milkshakes are options, too.

Some of the menu items are made-from-scratch, including the soups which are made fresh daily.

“The Cereal Milk Latte is my favorite right now,” Rachel says. “It’s a syrup we have, and it tastes like the milk that’s in the bottom of a cereal bowl.”

Although the business has been open less than a year, it has become renowned for its eclectic combinations. One fan-favorite pairs the Mexican Mocha with the huevos rancheros.

Another breakfast item in high demand is the Grinch Toast, featuring slices of avocado layered over wheatberry toast and drizzled with Everything Bagel seasoning. Cheryl says one would be remiss not to try the Meri Waffle, which is a mini waffle topped with bananas and Medders Family Farm’s chocolate peanut butter concoction.

“The most unique thing we’ve done is the milkshakes,” Cheryl says. “My favorite milkshake is the Pecan Pie, which is seasonal. We take an entire piece of pecan pie and throw it in the blender. The other thing about our milkshakes is we don’t ice them down. We don’t water them down. They have lots and lots of ice cream and lots and lots of flavor.”

Though initially popular for eclectic coffees and milkshakes, Meri Moon has now become all the rave for its monthly wine tastings. Customers wanting to attend can purchase a Meri Moon charcuterie board, which ranges in price from $10-$15.

During the tastings, Meri Moon will offer handmade selections of finger foods, and customers are welcome to purchase their favorite bottles of wine from the event. No matter if it’s 9 a.m. on a weekday morning or late in the afternoon during a wine tasting, people, no matter their differences, can be seen enjoying the company of each other at Meri Moon with a cup of Joe in their hands.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable and find a spot here,” Rachel says, later adding, “I love seeing people come together.”

Truly, she feels the Montevallo community rallied around her, giving her family renewed hope. Especially with friends such as Cheryl, there’s no place quite like home than in Montevallo.

“I love this community, and I love being able to love on them because they have taken such great care of me over the past six years,” she says.

Looking forward, Cheryl and Rachel plan to expand the retail front of Meri Moon, offering handpicked goods from other small businesses. For now, they’re just happy to have their business be so well received and to be able to serve local patrons.

True fellowship, they say, are the ties that bind everyone together. Thanks to the Montevallo community, Meri Moon is thriving on camaraderie, contributing to its legacy of love.

Meri Moon is located at 618 Main Street in Montevallo. For hours and operation or to learn more information, follow Meri Moon on Facebook.