Open the door to The Village Coffee and Tea Company and you are bombarded with the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, a massive menu and friendly faces. 
It may look like a regular coffee shop, but the appeal of the new coffee shop at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Freret Street is in the owners, rather than the shop itself. 
Marty Coggins and his wife, Donna Coggins, dreamed for over a decade of opening their own coffee shop.
“We wanted something different and something that was our own,” said Marty Coggins. 
After Katrina, and the success of their roofing business, they were able to put the money they saved toward their dream.
The atmosphere of the shop is contemporary, but it exudes New Orleans’ flair.  Pictures of streetcars and the French Quarter hang from the walls, while modern lights crawl across the ceilings. 
Desks and tables cover the floor, and a variety of goodies fill the counter tops. 
The menu consists of unique coffees with interesting flavors. 
From a twist on a classic New Orleans dessert to a non-alcoholic Kahlua and coconut-flavored frappuccino, cleverly titled “The Bushwhacker,” The Village Coffee and Tea Company has its clientele coming back for more. 
“I come a few times a week. It’s quaint and a better atmosphere than a congested library” said Chris Sisk, first year Loyola law student.
The coffee shop is a safe haven where students go to study, as well as a friendly, neighborhood hang out location. 
“I like it a lot. I come a couple times a week because it’s convenient and comfortable,” said Mary Saitta, a student LSU Health and Science Center. 
This small shop has big expectations. There are plans to expand in the future and create an atmosphere that will appeal to more customers.
The shop has been open a month and already business is booming. 
“We are not just a business about the numbers. [My wife] Donna and I are involved with customers on a day-to-day occurrence,” said Marty Coggins.
Marty Coggins’ vivacious personality and love for coffee invite the community to put down that mundane cup of coffee and take a walk on the wild side.

Erica Colbenson can be reached at [email protected]