What’s the buzz in Williamston? New café plans to open in downtown

WILLIAMSTON — There’s a buzz building in downtown Williamston with plans to open The Hive Café there this fall.

Williamston resident Will Long, who also owns other downtown businesses such as the Studio Shop and Makers’ Nook, is renovating The Hive school spirit shop to open the café mid-September.

His goal is to create a space where students and families can hang out while also having another money-making avenue during the summer when fewer people are buying school spirit apparel. Williamston's school nickname is the Hornets.

“Basically we're trying to create a community area and then, business-wise, try and make some money off of it, too,” he said.

Nestled between the Williamston Barbershop and Old Plank Road Antiques at 122 W. Grand River Ave., Long said The Hive Café will open in stages, starting with offering bubble tea and craft soda.

The full final menu will include coffee, ice cream and smoothies and food like sandwiches and pretzels further down the road.

The Hive spirit shop was temporarily closed but reopened Tuesday with major café construction completed. Long said opening the café is an investment of tens of thousands of dollars.

“It's very exciting,” he said. “Just budget-wise, it's scary.”

He plans to hire three to four more people to run the café, which will be open around 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. On the weekends it will be open until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. to give people a place to hang out after events like football games.

Long said it’s always been a dream to open a  café and he wants to create a place where people who don’t want to spend a lot of money can hang out and spend $5 on a drink.

 “(I’m) trying to create that experience for Williamston,“ he said. 

Williamston Chamber of Commerce Interim Executive Director Garrett Gabriel said the new café will add to downtown’s synergy.

He thinks younger people will like the bubble tea and because the space will have both a café and school spirit apparel shop, it will give high school and middle school students a place to hang out. 

"There’s not a whole lot for like the kids to hang out in town,” he said. “So as soon as it's open, it’s probably going to become like the congregation spot for everyone.”

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.