Stories Start at Copper Coin, Acru

Back in the old days in a train town like Woodstock, you could often witness kids stooped over railroad tracks on sunny afternoons placing their pennies on the steel rail and then standing back in bated anticipation for the coins to be flattened into shiny copper treasures.

It was the youthful memory of this--the joy, the freedom, the exhilaration and the ultimate feeling of triumph--that served as the inspiration for the city's newest financial institution Acru and its resident coffeehouse, the Copper Coin.

Matt Hames, the president and CEO of Acru, was seeking to create a unique and welcoming gathering space in the downtown location, and he arrived at the idea of incorporating a coffeehouse into his business plan to better accomodate his clients. The result became Copper Coin Coffee, which will be open to the public and not just Acru customers.

Acru first approached Laura and Mike Gullicksen, former owners of the Woodstock Coffeehouse on Towne Lake Parkway, to head up Copper Coin, and the couple was intrigued by the project.

"We decided to team up with Acru because of their vision of using this as a multi-use space," Mike said. "They wanted a community-based space that offered more than just financial advice to their customers. They created the space geared around the community and saw the need to be able to deliver that space in a way that drew people in. What better way to is there to meet than with coffee and conversation?"

Besides the relaxed coffeehouse atmosphere, Acru offers the rare opportunity to meet with professional wealth strategists at no charge.

“We’ve designed Acru to be a place that gives away wisdom, provides clarity on where people are in life, develops a plan to help clients achieve their financial goals and stewards that plan as life unfolds,” Hames said. “We believe that money serves as a tool to live out your purpose in life."

The Gullicksens embrace this philosophy for the coffeehouse, as well and encourage their customers to utilize the establishment as a meeting space for friends while enjoying a cup of Counter Culture Coffee, a venue for live music, a Wi-Fi hotspot to get some work done and most of all, a place to share their stories.

"Like Acru, The Copper Coin is a place where stories start, a place for community, a place to come and embrace life and slow down," Mike said. "We serve inspiration one cup at a time, whether it's for business, pleasure or artistic expression."

So whether Woodstock customers are seeking advice to manage their family's financial future or merely a place to soak up some local coffeehouse culture, the two businesses hope to provide a space in which both monetary and social "treasure" can harmoniously co-exist and alleviate the potential stressors that come with both.

"On both counts," Mike said, "it's meant to be a place to let go of your worries and reclaim your life."