Patrick Clapp worked construction long enough to save up and launch a small business selling coffee beans at Soulard Farmer’s Market. Now his shops are thriving.
ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Just off the busy street corner of South Jefferson and Gravois, along the historic Old Route 66, signs of life are stirring inside a small storefront that used to be an abandoned tire shop.
Patrick Clapp, the owner of the growing coffeeshop, opens his gates at 6 a.m. every morning and begins to set out tables and chairs on the sidewalk patio to welcome the crowd of regulars.
Within a few hours, tired commuters grab coffee to-go on their morning rush to work while the booths and tabletops fill up with customers who stop to savor the spices in a well-seasoned asada empanada. A sign near the cashier offers customers a rare treat of “Nacatamal,” a special tamale-like dish with …