River City natives launch Steam Anchor Coffee & Café

FULTON – There’s a new place to dock for coffee and a bite.

Steam Anchor Coffee & Café opened Oct. 12 at the intersection of highways 84 and 136, behind the AmericInn Hotel and Suites, next to the Shell station.

When owners Benjamin and Paige Wilbur decided to set sail on their business venture, they did it in familiar waters: Paige, 23, grew up in Clinton and Ben, 27, in Fulton.

Steam Anchor serves specialty coffee and drinks, fresh fruit smoothies, artisan-style sandwiches, hearty homemade soups, fresh salads, ice cream, pastries, and more.

They’re gaining in popularity daily.

“We brought ice cream back to Fulton, so that seems to be getting more attention as we come into the summer months,” Ben said.

“I would say that many people know us for our quality in our food and specialty coffee drinks and also our delicious fresh fruit smoothies,” Paige said. “Ultimately, I would say we are known for our customer service, though.

“We try our hardest to make you feel like you are the most important, because to us you are!”

Steam Anchor also has free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, call-ahead service and a drive-through. The Wilburs do small-event catering, too – soup, sandwiches, chips and baked goods for meetings, retreats, parties, and more. Large orders are fine, but delivery isn’t offered at the moment.

A half-sandwich with soup and a drink costs less than $8, and a specialty drink is featured daily. You can find their menu on the cafe’s Facebook page.

“We are always growing and changing to meet the needs and wants of our customers,” Paige said.

They opened the business to satisfy a need of their own – well, two, actually.

“While I was attending school at Clinton Community College I kept wanting a comfortable place to study that had free Wi-Fi,” Ben said. “As I started my bachelor’s of business administration program through Oral Roberts University, that need only strengthened.

“For my senior project, I was supposed to do a mock business start-up, but instead I actually ran the numbers to start a coffee/café in Clinton, Iowa, which [I hoped] to start after I graduated. However, the numbers didn’t pan out and we let the idea go.”

Then Ben got a call from Scott Schaefer with the Quad Cities Prayer Center in Davenport, Iowa, asking if the center could use Ben’s business model. The result was Connect Coffee House in Northpark Mall.

“That was the best and most influential decision we made,” Ben said. “That experience and the connections we made during those 3 years at QCPC have helped us immensely to shape and start our own coffee house.

“When the opportunity to start one back in our hometown arose, we jumped. Both Paige and I have a heart for people and this community, we wanted to be part of it again.”

“We would love for people to come check us out,” Paige added.

“Spend some time with us, use the free Wi-Fi and enjoy the atmosphere while being surrounded by people who treat you like family and hospitality unmatched anywhere else.”

DROP ANCHOR STEAM ANCHOR

Steam Anchor Coffee & Café is open from 7 a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1310 17th St. in Fulton.

Find Steam Anchor Coffee Co. on Facebook, go to steamanchor.com or call 815-208-7074 to learn more about the Wilburs' catering and other services.