Breckenridge coffee shops

Sara and Brett Cox always dreamed of owning their own business, and after tying the knot in September 2013, the timing finally seemed right to put that plan into motion. After looking at different types of businesses, specifically coffee shops, the two purchased The Crown in Breckenridge in May of last year from longtime owner Abbie Norton, reopening it under their new ownership in June.

"We stayed open until the end of September and then we closed for three months to do this big renovation, " Sara said. "We operated it through the summer and recognized a lot of the challenges that the space had."

The extensive remodel included expanding the kitchen, adding a bar and an electric fireplace, upgrading plumbing and heating and rearranging the dining area. Along with all of the new elements came a new menu and new hours. The Crown officially reopened the week before Christmas, a nerve-racking time to launch a newly revamped business.

"The renovation, right out of the gate, put a lot of stress and strain on us. We had never done a renovation — we were married in September of 2013, bought a business in the spring, renovated it over our anniversary, and we're still married, " Sara said with a laugh.

NEW MENU, NEW HOURS

The Crown is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, serving breakfast until 11:30 a.m. daily and an appetizer and lunch menu from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The bar stays open another hour past the kitchen, closing at 10 p.m.

"We added breakfast — breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, pastries and some lighter options like yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, " Sara said. "We do a lot of paninis and sandwiches, soup, some salads. For appetizers, we have flatbread pizzas, artichoke dip in a bread bowl, homemade hummus. Most of our food is homemade; as much as we can do homemade we do."

Highlights include the roasted raspberry chipotle flatbread, topped with heirloom tomatoes, arugula and goat cheese for $10, and Brett's favorite, the pork belly sliders served with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce on a sweet potato bun, three for $10.