On The Record, Vol. [3], No. [1], Ed. 1 Friday, June 17, 2011 Page: 16 of 44
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All Photos by Ashley-Crystal Firstly/Senior Staff Writer
Mike Sutton, 57, reclines in his chair,
arms folded behind his head, legs crossed,
as he recalls being introduced to the world
of coffee.
As a child, Sutton hated the taste of
java. He didn't touch it until years later,
when he said his low budget forced him
to settle at a frozen food warehouse he
worked at in Dallas.
"I had to develop a taste for it," Sutton
said. "It didn't come naturally to me."
Sutton said when he noticed the high
demand for coffee at surrounding fast-
food restaurants, he decided to open Big
Mike's Coffee Shop in 2009, after his old
store Voyager's Dream ran out of busi-
ness.
Clearly over his distaste of coffee, the
Kansas native now drinks two cups a day
while working 60 hours a week at his busi-
ness, the only 24-hour independent coffee
shop in Denton.
"My idea was to have good coffee,
have qual ity workers and make my profit
slowly," he said. "And thus, Big Mike's
was born."
Sutton's Shop
Sutton said he painted over the colorful
mural that decorated his old business with
a lime green and yellow background and
a group of large brown coffee beans.
His shop offers organic baked goods
from local bakery Totally Baked and fair
trade coffee, something he said he learned
about while visiting Colombia for the first
time in 2005 with a group called Witness
for Peace. Fair trade coffee is purchased
directly from the growers for a higher price
than standard coffee.
"If you're going to put a coffee shop in,
it's got to be done right," he said.
Eve Spade, 27, has worked at indepen-
dent coffee shops on and off for 10 years.
After a three-year hiatus, Spade's friend,
the manager at Big Mike's, convinced her
to try a shot of espresso.
"I totally feel like Mike will back us up
on stuff," said Spade, who has worked at
Big Mike's since March. "I really think he
respects us as employees and we respect
him as a boss."
Roger Harrison, the owner of Jupiter
House, said Big Mike's is in the hardest
period for an independent business in
Denton - - the first three years.
"When you have an independent busi-
ness, I thi nk they really do appreciate the
customers who come through the door,"
Harrison said. "Our customer service is
what sets us apart."
Big Mike the Bureaucrat
Three years ago, Sutton decided to run for
city council because he became unhappy
with the taxing of Fry Street businesses.
"A lot of the money goes back to the city
from this area but it doesn't come back
here," Sutton said. "They use it to build other
areas in town."
Sutton lost by 1,000 votes his first time
around, and came up 29 votes short in his
second effort this year. Sutton said he filed
for a recount because of the closeness of
the race and conflicting reports of Election
Day turnout.
Sutton said he would run again if he is
still in Denton and the taxing of Fry doesn't
change. If he won, he said he would turn his
business over to an employee.
"I throw myself into my job, so I'd throw
myself into that job," Sutton said. "If I can
prove myself in this job, I can prove myself
in that job."
-Ashley-Crystal First ley, Senior Staff
Writer
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Zucker, Shaina. On The Record, Vol. [3], No. [1], Ed. 1 Friday, June 17, 2011, periodical, June 17, 2011; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth209154/m1/16/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .