COLORADO SPRINGS — Owning a small business comes with enough challenges, and worrying about crime shouldn't be one of them. At Tiny House Coffee, a small act of service from a neighboring business is making a big difference.
The otherwise tranquil coffee shop recently had new security measures installed — a reinforced door and window barricade — after experiencing two break-ins within a month.
"It makes us feel way safer, and I'm not like worried in the mornings when I'm opening," said Emaya, who works at the coffee shop.
Emaya loves brightening people's day with a cup of coffee, but her own day took a turn for the worse when she witnessed the second break-in through security footage.
"Just watching it happen, and kind of feeling so helpless just sitting there, there wasn't anything I could do," Emaya said.
The break-in happened in the middle of the night. Weeks earlier, a thief had stolen the shop's espresso machine. This time, it was kids stealing products and smashing equipment.
"They had nothing better to do," Emaya said.
After the pair of crimes, it was time to beef up security. That's where Joel Van Wierden and Cherry Creek Systems stepped in.
Van Wierden manages a neighboring manufacturing business and is a regular customer at the coffee shop.
"We absolutely love them. Get coffee from them every day," Van Wierden said.
He and his crew refused to stand idle after learning about the break-ins.
"We had the means to weld and fabricate anything we can, might as well just put a door together and put a window together for them," Van Wierden said.
For the young women running the shop, the new security measures provide both protection and peace of mind.
"We can't like push it, bend it, anything. Like if you're going to go through that door, it's going to take a lot of force," Emaya
said.
There’s plenty of gratitude from the coffee shop employees, a great demonstration of how community support can help small businesses overcome challenges.
