New Artful Bean owners blend caffeine and creativity

Rose O'Hanlon floats around Artful Bean with a pot of hot coffee.

She stops to chat with customers relaxing in plush arm chairs, sipping on lattes and cappuccinos. Christmas tunes play softly as she refills a cup for a woman sitting by the window.

As O'Hanlon circulates with ease, you'd think she has run a coffee shop her whole life. But in reality, she's only been at it for a few months.

She and her partner, Kim Warner, took over the Artful Bean in Bethany Beach this past spring.

"We didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare before summer," she said. "But despite not knowing what we were doing, the season was a huge success. We survived and learned more than I ever thought we would."

The couple moved to the Quiet Resort from New Jersey, after taking a liking to the area. The two had talked about moving out of the city to "settle down" for years.

Warner still works a 9-to-5 during the week and jumps behind the counter on the weekends, but O’Hanlon has quickly become the face of the Artful Bean — which Warner said is exactly where she’s meant to be.

"Rose has just flourished here," she said. "She loves people and falls in love with this community more each day. For me, it's been rewarding getting to see her come alive like never before. She didn't have this kind of passion for life when she worked in the corporate world."

As O'Hanlon and Warner settle into the offseason, the two plan to make changes and upgrades to the coffee shop they weren't able to do when they first took over.

They will debut a new menu in the coming months, which will feature hearty sandwiches, paninis, soups and salads made with fresh and locally sources ingredients. There will also be a number of healthy and light grab-n-go options offered such as yogurt parfaits, hummus and cheese plates and homemade granola bars.

O'Hanlon and Warner will also work closely with local restauranteur Jonathan Spivak to create the new menu. Spivak previously owned Sedona in Bethany Beach and Fusion, which is now Salt Air in Rehoboth Beach.

"Jonathan has been a Godsend," Warner said. "He is extremely knowledgable and so passionate about the industry. We're lucky to have him on our team."

O'Hanlon and Warner also plan to redesign the Artful Bean's interior for better traffic flow, especially during the summer.

"The current setup is just not conducive for how busy we get," O'Hanlon said. "The counter is cramped in the corner and it gets jammed with people trying to place and pick up orders."

By repositioning the counter, a lot of un-used space will be taken full advantage of.

"We will still have a seating area, as well as local art on display," O'Hanlon said. "People love the fact that this is also like an art gallery, it's what makes the Artful Bean special. We don't want to change that. But by remodeling, we hope to make the overall experience more enjoyable for our customers. We just need better flow."

The Artful Bean will temporarily close in February for the construction project.

Other potential changes and improvements on the way include hosting more community events. This winter, the shop will host poetry reading nights on various topics, paint nights, spiritual guide and medium nights, mandala-coloring nights and more.

One thing O'Hanlon and Warner maintain will never change, though, is how they treat their customers.

“Our customers mean everything to us,” Warner said. “We want them to feel like family. Because to us, we aren't just serving customers a cup of coffee. We're serving a smile, a friendship, a meaningful conversation. There's a lot more to it than just caffeine.”

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