The Coffee Shoppe serves as a gathering spot in downtown Selma

Have you seen Abbott and Castello’s skit, Who’s on First?

I had been in Selma for a few days when I asked if there was a coffee shop in town. The man at the diner nodded and said, “The Coffee Shoppe is down the street.”

 To which I replied, “What is it called?”

 “The Coffee Shoppe,” the man said again.

 “No, I mean its name, what is the coffee shop called?”

 “Lord have mercy son, it’s called The Coffee Shoppe.”

 So I found The Coffee Shoppe and met owner Jackie Smith on a recent morning.

 “Do you see the bookshelf behind you?” Smith asked, after inviting me to sit at one of the shiny tables.

 I nodded observing a well-stocked bookshelf with flowers and other decorations.

 “That used to be the ‘colored window’ during segregation. I remember coming up to that window as a child to pick stuff up. This was a flower shop,” Smith said.

 I was shocked, that in the not-so-long-ago history, a flower shop used to have a “colored window.”

 The Coffee Shoppe built on the building’s history downtown and now serves the finest coffee drinks, including Cappuccinos, Lattes, and the ever-so-popular White Chocolate Mocha.

 “People love that drink. They get it hot in the winter and on ice in the summer. We also serve smoothies like our Green Smoothie with kale and other greens, and a Peach & Mango Smoothie,” Smith said.

 The Coffee Shoppe serves food as well, like Panini sandwiches you get to build yourself with all kinds of meats and cheeses and delicious veggies.

 “I do have a secret recipe for my creamy spinach people love on my sandwiches, and no I can’t share the recipe,” Smith said laughing. “We also serve chicken salad, which is very popular,” Smith said.

 The Coffee Shoppe also offers scones, muffins, and cookies along with the coffee.

 If you are a tourist and want to find the coffee shop in town, don’t make my mistake. Just nod when they say, “The Coffee Shoppe.”

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