By Tyler Pruett
FORT PAYNE, Ala.— One of Dekalb County’s favorite coffee shops and eateries is happy to announce they will be expanding and going mobile. The Spot, located on the corner of Gault Avenue and 1st Street in downtown Fort Payne, has now added a food trailer. It will be able to serve several mobile locations as well as provide a mobile kitchen for events such as weddings, festivals, and is even serving the Fort Payne High School prom on main street. Southern Torch recently sat down with the Spot’s owner, Justin Sweeney, to discuss the new addition and business in general.
The new mobile kitchen will serve several locations in the area, and will even be making the trip all the way to Chattanooga; bringing a Fort Payne original to shoppers at the farmer’s market on Sundays. The trailer will also be making the rounds at locations in Dekalb County, including the Siemens industrial complex and the Children’s Place. Sweeney is also looking to add more locations in the future to share his unique dining experience with as many people as possible.
When asked what made him decide to add a food trailer to his business model, Sweeney wanted to expand, but in a versatile way. “We were looking at adding a second location, but we were having a hard time find another spot,” he said. When he said, “spot,” he meant that quite literally. The architecture of his original location lends to the uniqueness of the business he’s created.
When Sweeney first saw the building that would become the home of his now thriving business, he couldn’t believe it had been vacant for two years. “My first thought was, ‘this architecture is incredible!’ With the metal ceilings, open floor plan, and stage, it would be difficult to find another location to replicate what we have here,” he said. That’s when he decided that a food trailer was more versatile than another location, and would allow him to bring his existing business to new locations without trying to replicate it. “It allows us to serve a wider audience,” Sweeney stated.
If you’ve never experienced the uniqueness of Sweeney’s business, it only takes one look inside to realize that The Spot in Fort Payne is much more than just a small-town coffee shop. First of all, in addition to coffee and espresso, The Spot serves frozen blended drinks, Panini Sandwiches, pizza, pastries, ice cream and more. But it's not just the unexpected size and quality of their menu that sets The Spot apart. They are a venue like no other. Part coffee shop, part restaurant, part art gallery, and part music venue, somehow The Spot manages to successfully pull off all four at the same time with an eclectic style and decor that is truly their own.
The combination of a unique venue, unique art, and unique food in a unique town, makes The Spot a Fort Payne original.
“What happened here, couldn’t happen anywhere else,” he said.
As far as his plans for the future, Sweeney anticipates adding hand tossed pizza to his menu. Above all, no matter what successes the future might hold, he plans to stay true to the original styling that helped make his business a success.
