A number of local Tallahassee businesses have been marking anniversaries lately. A few weeks ago, Cabo's Bar and Grille celebrated 3 decades of existence. This weekend a popular Capital City coffee house was celebrating 2 decades of serving a large and enthusiastic customer base.
Black Dog Cafe founder and owner Carla Reid never expected her little side business to last anywhere near that long.
"It was a 3-year plan," she remarked during the shop's anniversary party at the Lake Ella American Legion Hall. Her coffee shop is actually in the same building. "I opened it when I was pregnant with my son. I was going to have a baby boy, write my dissertation and become a professor."
Today Dr. Reid is a professor at Florida State University, but her little coffee shop at Lake Ella was so successful Reid opened a second location in Railroad Square. Local photographer and man-about-town Larry Coltharp was among the Black Dog fans celebrating on Saturday.
"I'm here quite a bit for events and it's just a great place," he said. "And I'm glad that they've been here 20 years and I wish them 20 more!"