By Mary Owen
A new Stayton establishment sells flowers, coffee and “encouragement” to local patrons.
“Moxieberry by our own definition means ‘the fruit of encouragement,’” said owner Teri Mesa. “Our goal is to bring encouragement to women through the products we offer and our atmosphere with our French-Mediterranean décor and uplifting music. Of course, we are finding that men love the atmosphere, too!”
Mesa serves organic coffee sold in South America by the Organic Products Trading Company. The Café Femenino Foundation began in 2004 when women farmers from northern Peru discussed with their cooperative leaders about selling their own coffee in the international marketplace. Now helping women in coffee-growing regions around the world, the program was developed with the goal to empower women to use the production and sale of their own product as the vehicle to create social change. “We love that this coffee has a social cause behind it,” Mesa said.
Mesa was planning to open a women’s boutique in Stayton when a former co-worker in the floral industry approached her about a local flower shop for sale.
“Instead of buying an existing business, I decided to open a new flower shop offering newer design trends in the industry,” said Mesa, who has a bachelor’s degree in business management and is a certified florist and event planner. “The coffee was a natural addition when considering all the things women love.”
Complementing the coffee, Moxieberry offers fresh pastries, including scones, muffins and tarts from Marsee Bakery. Lunch is on the “menu,” with soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta, all with a French and Italian Mediterranean twist.
“We always have a zuppa di casa or house soup, which is Italian potato and sausage, and the soup du jour changes daily – tomato bisque, Tuscan bean, lemon chicken and so forth,” Mesa said.
Other menu items include: Tuscan, Caprese and The Tripoli panini sandwiches, Egg Salad Florentine Croissant, Mediterranean Chop Salad, Chicken Alfredo and Pasta Piazza. Moxieberry is at 429 N. Third Ave.
“Our menu will grow and we will have seasonal favorites as well,” Mesa said. “We hope to branch into dinner service on Friday and Saturday nights after our lunch service is in full swing,” she added. “This would include expanding the kitchen and seating are indoors and adding a deck over the waterway for additional outside seating.”
To give back to the community, Mesa has partnered with many local organizations to provide flowers at cost.
“And sometimes no cost to enhance their events,” she said. “Some of our favorites so far are the ‘All Dressed Up’ event where our corsages and wedding bouquets were in the runway fashion show and the annual ‘Father Daughter Ball.’”
Being in downtown Stayton is a bit of a challenge, Mesa said.
“Much of the space is vacant,” she added. “We are hoping the community will embrace us as well as other businesses that are attempting to revive the downtown historical district. It would be wonderful to see downtown a thriving bustling business community again.”
A mother of two children and a 3-year-old granddaughter, Mesa opened Moxieberry with her daughter, Alicia Mesa-Gardner. Mesa-Gardner recently left the business because of a pending marriage and move. “So it is myself and my husband, Jon, now running the business,” Mesa said.
The Mesas invite people to stop in for a cup of coffee or to take home some flowers and a few kind words. “We hope people walk away uplifted and encouraged after visiting with us, with an anticipation to return soon,” Mesa said.
