By: James Pruitt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
A desire to run her own eatery and have a full-time job has led a Stryker woman to open her own business.
A Place in Time is scheduled to open Sept. 16 in downtown Stryker featuring breakfast and lunch six days a week. For owner Anissa Armstrong, the opening will be the end of one journey of faith and the start of another.
The name of the business sprung out of a conversation between Anissa and her husband of four years, Lee. The restaurant will have an eclectic look and each piece of furniture comes from its own “place in time.”
“That popped into my head,” Anissa said. “It just fits.”
Faith is an important part of Anissa’s life and journey to this point.
The journey to this point began in 2008, when Anissa discovered she need something else in her life and went back to church. She was born and raised Catholic and credits her dad with instilling in her the morals and qualities needed for a good life.
“I lost my way a little bit,” Anissa said.
By age 33, she said she realized she needed a change and did not want to spend time in a dark place anymore. After hitting what she called rock bottom, the changes in her life culminated in her giving her life back to Christ on Father’s Day 2009.
“Since then I have rebuilt my life on that rock of faith,” Anissa said. “This (coffee shop) has been a true blessing, every bit of it.”
She draws inspiration from Bible verses such as Isaiah 41:10; Psalms 46:5, Ecclesiastes 3:1 and Philippians 4:13.
“This has been a huge blessing,” Anissa said. “And (God) has to be a part of it.
“I always wanted to (own my own place). I worked for 28 years in food and customer service.
While work was sporadic – she was employed only 2 ½ years total between 2009 and today – her dream never wavered. She credits her husband’s faith in her for not giving up.
“(He said) Let’s do something that you will enjoy,” Anissa said. “This what we are doing.”
She tried once a couple of years ago to get into the space in Stryker, but the rent was too high. A computer store occupied the space, but in the first of year, she noticed it was up for rent again.
A call to the same landlord revealed a different and lower price and she was able to get the keys in April. Renovations began soon afterward and with a shoestring budget, Anissa has managed to get most the place ready to go.
Anissa envisions her shop to be a coffee shop bistro. Breakfast and lunch will be served. There will be a salad bar, soups, cold salads, desserts, homemade cheesecake, small bakery items and smoothies.
There will be gourmet coffee, espresso, latte and cappuccino. Red Rambler coffee will be fresh roasted weekly, she said. The business will have free Wi-Fi, with an area people can plug in their laptops and phones
“I’ll have ice cream at some point,” Anissa said.
There will also be a table with a Bible for anyone who wants to read. The point there is not force her faith on anyone, but to give God a place of honor, she said.
She is also thinking of open up after football and basketball games to people a place to hang out.
Her regular hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
James Pruitt may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com