Community Corner
A Break From the Grind: Behind the Counter at Birdie’s Café
Birdie's Café owner Sherri Hosfeld Joseph talks about ghosts and good coffee while sharing her business story during a recent interview.
Colorful, vibrant and eclectic are just three adjectives you could use to describe Westminster’s Birdie’s Café. Situated on Main Street, the airy coffee shop sings with activity throughout the day.
On a recent weekday, shop owner took a break from the bustle of her business to share with readers what got her business started, and what separates her shop from the rest.
Name: Sherri Hosfeld Joseph
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Title: Owner
Age: 40
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Name of business: Birdie’s Café
Fast Fact: Store opened July 13, 2010
Fun Fact: In her spare time, Joseph blogs for .
On picking Main Street as a location: This was a coffee shop before, but it was closed for two years…I thought [a coffee shop] was something the community really needed to give people an alternative to corporate coffee.
On her background: I have a degree in photography from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan…I was a fundraiser for 15 years for local non-profits…I decided to open my coffee shop so I can still continue to do good for the community.
On her hometown: I’ve lived in a lot of places but Westminster is where I call home… I love the sense of community here.
Did you always envision owning a coffee shop?: I always wanted to own my own business…It’s in my family—My family owned a business on Main Street for 50 years called The Flower Box. When that changed ownership it made me start to think that my family still needed to have a presence in Westminster.
What’s your favorite eatery in town (besides yours)?: I’m going to get in trouble if I answer that question (laughs). We all know each other very well here...I frequent Paradiso and Maggie’s.
I notice you play a lot of funky music in here. Who is your favorite musician?: Django Reinhardt—He’s a guitarist.
What is the inspiration for the café’s aesthetics?: I live in a historic home in Westminster—I love older homes. If you would walk into my house right now it looks exactly like this; it’s old but quirky. I like rooms with lots of personality and color. I like the overstimulation of all the looks that are going on here.
What is something about you that your customers might not know?: That I lived my entire childhood on a working farm.
Since you spend so much time in your coffee shop, you must like coffee: (Laughs) Are you kidding me? More than any 40-year-old woman probably should.
What’s your favorite kind of coffee: Straight up espresso.
What’s the worst part of your job?: The worst part of my day is closing my doors—I wish we were open 24/7 but then I would never see my kids.
On customers doing weird things: A lot of people are really interested in the paranormal goings-on in this place. I’ve had people in here with divining rods…Apparently the ghost of a young man lives here.
A ghost!?: Yeah—for real. This is an old place. He is a ghost named James. He likes to pull chairs. Sometimes bread flies across the room. James is a prankster, but he’s a sweetheart; we love him.
Have you ever seen him?: I’ve never seen him…A lot of times I feel like he’s standing behind me.
Anything else you want to share with your public?: I have three awesome kids. Xavier, 11, Sebastian, 8, and Scarlett aka “Birdie” who is six…It’s truly a family business…When they are old enough they will absolutely work here.
Birdie’s Café, 233 East Main Street. Mon-Tues., 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 410-259-1188. birdiescoffee.com.
