Live Oak Coffeehouse to open new location in former Grove Tea Lounge

Renee and Aaron Deckrow met while working in the restaurant business with dreams of someday having their own. That dream turned into a reality in 2017 when they opened Live Oak, and with a recent purchase, they will open their fifth location in the former Grove Tea Lounge on the corner of Eastlawn and Abbott. 

Owned by Patrick and Shannon McElgunn and Erin and Joe Rivard, the Deckrows learned that Grove Tea was for sale in September when they saw a post on Facebook. 

“We’ve [Patrick and I] been allies in this community coffeehouse creation,” Renee says. “We’ve journeyed together.” Both businesses announced the purchase on Nov.1. 

Renee, who oversees all of their coffeehouse locations (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, and Freeland), says, “We’ll continue with people being the heart of everything we do.”

The Ashman Plaza, a building the Deckrows have owned since 2013, not only houses several small businesses, but is also home to Live Oak Coffeehouse Midtown. “I love the coffee environment; it’s warm and cozy,” Renee says. “You never have a bad conversation with a cup of coffee in your hands.”

She says, “We wanted our shop to be about the people. We wanted excellent coffee and products, but for us, it was more about the community.” 

This people/community-centered philosophy permeates the Deckrow’s approach to their business as seen in Live Oak’s events, such as Come Watch the Santa Parade; in its philanthropy, like their Love Your Neighbor coffee blend where $2 of every bag goes to nonprofits; and in the coffeehouses’ comfortable, homey atmosphere, something that’s important to Renee as she creates a peaceful environment at the new Live Oak Eastside location. 

“We want people to feel a warm, friendly welcome,” Renee says, “to feel delighted by the atmosphere when you walk in, from interesting things to look at, historical aspects of the place that come through, and in the lighting and music.”

Renee calls all of this ‘gezellig’ (heh-SELL-ick), a Dutch word meaning conviviality, laughter, and connection. Her mom is from the Netherlands, so gezellig is something she grew up with. It’s a natural belonging in a place, providing people a moment of respite to support them in their busy lives, she says. “If we can do that, we’ve done our job.”

According to Renee, changing signage is the biggest task to be done at the new location, plus adding some interior and exterior lighting, painting a few areas, and doing a few other minor things. “We don’t have a lot of work to do,” she says. “It’s a beautiful space.”

Hoping to meet the needs of existing Grove Tea Lounge customers, Renee says they will keep many things that are important to them, including the playground and kid-friendly atmosphere. They will also keep gluten-free items and some of the specific teas.

Renee and Aaron bring with them their personal experiences of raising four children, all of whom are or have been involved in the family business, and their professional ones as well. Aaron has a degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from Northwood University. He is a Sourcing Manager at Dow. 

Renee is self-taught and says she is an avid reader and researcher, and does whatever it takes to learn the skills she needs, whether it’s attending workshops or reading about running a business, leadership, or workplace sociology.

She is quick, however, to thank others regarding Live Oak’s success. “I always want to be sure to give credit to all those who have made things possible, and it’s the connections that have made it – so many people, relationships, and friendships.”

In addition to Aaron, her co-founder and support, Renee says her leadership team is amazing, including:

• Kait Philp, Director of Business, does all hiring, staff development, and training
• Jazz Benitez, Director of Operations, is very knowledgeable about the science and art of coffee 
• Erin Gauss, Assistant Director of Business, handles community events, donations, and online requests
• Katie Shearer, Pantry Manager, handles production and recipe development
• Ryan Pelletier, Roasting Manager, runs the rotisserie and works with wholesale partners
• Susie Wing, Pantry Leader, works in the kitchen and makes the cinnamon rolls and Susie’s Sweet Treats

“These people, among others, make the magic,” Renee says. 

Philp and Benitez will serve as interim managers at the new location when it opens next month. Both have been with the Live Oak team for several years, with part of their responsibilities being coaching new managers. They also bring other strengths and insights into their work. Philp has a BS in Psychology and a minor in Leadership from Central Michigan University, and Benitez has years of work experience with national companies in the food and hospitality business. “I’m excited about the opportunity of being an interim manager with Kait,” she says. 

Philp says there will be a call-out to current staff within the first couple of weeks of opening for them to apply for the manager position. “We can teach the management tasks, but what we’re looking for is the ability to cultivate a good team, to be a good communicator,” she says. ‘[It’s the ability] to be encouraging while still holding people accountable; show us, don’t just tell us.”

Benitez says Live Oak will hire from within, and some employees have already expressed an interest in managing the new location. “[As interim managers] we’re always watching to see people’s potential,” she says. “Like our philosophy of Love Coffee, Love People, if you don’t love people, you’re probably not the one for the job.”

Philp and Benitez also want to give credit where credit is due. “Aaron and Renee’s mentorship has been really important; we’ve had opportunities to do so much,” Philp says. “They have the heart to see people’s potential, and they really care.”

All of the Grove Tea Lounge staff were rehired and are currently training at Live Oak Midtown in food and beverage preparations, the POS (point of sales) system, and hospitality. Renee says they have about 65 employees total and will have 8-12 employees at Live Oak Coffeehouse Eastside. “I am excited about this area of town where there are many apartments. We can hopefully become people’s ‘community living room’.”

Benitez, an artist who has painted a mural at each of Live Oak’s locations (and plans to do one at Eastside), says the Deckrows have given her the platform to share her work, as well as the space to grow her craft. “It has been a huge opportunity,” she says.

The Deckrows are hoping for a Dec. 3 soft opening to be announced on their  Facebook page.

Renee says Grove Tea Lounge had many of the same values that align with Live Oak’s, such as serving the community. “Things are born from the heart,” she says. “They’re handing their business off to someone who will love it. We’ll take care of her.”