How a Local Coffee Shop and Wedding Photography Business in Shelbyville, IL Grew With Online and Local Marketing and Sales
Tom and Hannah Shoaff share how Oliver Coffee and Blue Willow grew in Shelbyville, IL with Facebook, referrals, and local marketing on the 217 Hustle Podcast.
Introduction:
If you have driven through downtown Shelbyville, IL in the last few years, you have seen the shipping container with a drive thru line wrapped around it. That is Oliver Coffee Company, and the couple behind it also runs one of the busiest wedding teams in the region, Blue Willow Photography and Videography.
On the latest episode of the 217 Hustle Podcast, powered by Protege Sales and Marketing, I sat down with owners Tom and Hannah Shoaff. We talked about opening a coffee shop in six weeks, why Facebook beats every other platform for them, and how they grew a wedding business from a $500 first booking into the St. Louis luxury market.
Whether you run a shop in Mattoon, a service business in Effingham, or a startup in Sullivan or Charleston, their story is full of real small business marketing lessons for Central Illinois owners.
From a COVID Coffee Craving to a Shelbyville Drive Thru
The idea for Oliver Coffee started in April 2020. Hannah had just had their first child, the world was shut down, and there was no drive thru coffee in Shelbyville. Her pitch to Tom was simple: if we can run one business, we can run another.
Tom took about two days to come around. Then they drove around town, found an empty lot, learned the bank owned it, and started making phone calls. They bought equipment, trained staff, and practiced drinks out of their garage.
They broke ground in April 2022 and opened in June 2022, about six weeks from dirt to open doors. This coming summer, Oliver Coffee Company turns five years old.
Marketing lesson: The best business ideas fill a gap you can see in your own town. Before you open, search Google the way your customers will. If nobody shows up for "drive thru coffee near me" in your town, that gap is your opportunity, and your Google Business Profile should be live the day you open.
Why a Shipping Container Was the Smart Move
Oliver runs out of a shipping container they bought in February 2022. Tom did not want to build anything permanent before they knew the idea would stick. If it failed, they could pick up the container and use it for something else.
The layout puts the drive thru first, because very few places in town offer coffee with a quick drive thru. Indoor seating took a back seat, and a patio refresh with new furniture is planned for next summer. New hires are always surprised at how roomy it is inside, which is why they say Oliver is small but mighty.
The hardest parts of opening were finding the right location and getting through state rules on plumbing, seating counts, and bathrooms. Then came a busy first summer, learning the coffee business on the fly, and their daughter arriving that September.
Marketing lesson: Start lean, test the idea, and invest once customers prove it works. Marketing works the same way. A solid website and Google Business Profile cost far less than a building and keep working for you while you learn.
Facebook Marketing for a Small Town Coffee Shop
For Oliver, Facebook is the clear marketing winner. Their photos and videos get more engagement there than on Instagram or TikTok, because that is where their customers spend time.
The bigger secret is what they post. They rarely push prices or products. Instead they show their baristas having fun, so customers feel like they know the person making their latte.
Their double sided specials board is a marketing tool too. Staff have full creative freedom to decorate it for local moments like Scarecrow Days and homecoming week. Hannah is even thinking about one side for weekend specials and the other for weekdays.
Marketing lesson: Go where your customers already are, and lead with people, not prices. Then make sure the people who see your posts can find you on Google with current hours, photos, and reviews when they search for coffee in Shelbyville or Shelby County.
Local Sourcing and What Customers Do Not See
Oliver does not buy the cheapest wholesale bag of beans. Their coffee is roasted by Volley Coffee in Charleston, and their breakfast burritos come from The Giving Plate in Altamont. They have tested different blends and roasters to get it right.
Customers also underestimate the menu. A shipping container in a small town looks limited, but the baristas keep a deep inventory and can make about nine out of ten unique custom requests.
Coming up next: the Christmas menu, peppermint drinks included, launches Thanksgiving week. Tom also joked that a paved drive thru with no potholes might be their five year anniversary gift to customers.
Marketing lesson: Your best selling points are often the ones customers never see. Put them on your website and Google Business Profile. Local sourcing, custom orders, and seasonal menus give Google fresh, keyword rich content and give customers a reason to choose you.
Blue Willow: From a $500 Wedding to the St. Louis Luxury Market
Hannah started Blue Willow Photography in 2017 and shot her first wedding for $500. Couples kept asking her if she knew a videographer. Tom had made goofy videos in high school, shot his first wedding for free, and worked his way up from there.
Today most of their work is in the St. Louis market through Wed Society, a luxury wedding vendor group. Upcoming dates include Union Station and Silver Oak Chateau. They still love local work too, like a country wedding near Stewardson and one in Sigel, and they have even filmed in front of the Wrigley Building in Chicago.
Their big selling point is the combo. Hannah shoots photos, Tom shoots video, and as a married team they know where each other will stand and what to capture. Couples get one seamless crew instead of two companies meeting for the first time on the wedding day.
Marketing lesson: Know what makes you different and say it everywhere. For Blue Willow, that is a husband and wife photo and video team in one booking. Your website, service pages, and Google Business Profile should all lead with your one clear advantage.
Booking Out to 2027: Blue Willow's Marketing Boom and Bust
Besides weddings, Hannah photographs families, couples, engagements, and newborns. Tom has filmed pregnancy announcements and promo videos, including a commercial with a Decatur videographer. The one thing they skip is senior pictures, which they happily refer to other photographers.
Demand is strong. Blue Willow has 22 weddings this year, six of them this October alone. Fall 2027 is filling up fast, and 2028 is not open yet, so couples who want the photo and video combo should reach out soon.
The marketing boom is referrals. Wed Society promotes them, vendors tag and recommend them, and every wedding they post on Instagram markets the next one. The bust was paid ads, which they tried without much luck.
Marketing lesson: Paid ads rarely fail because ads do not work. They fail when there is no foundation behind them and no tracking to show what is working. A strong website, a Google Business Profile full of reviews, and local SEO turn referrals and ad clicks into booked dates.
Small Business Life: Syrup Spills and Big Ideas
I asked for their craziest customer stories. At Oliver, the worst of it is drivers who have bumped the building and knocked the sign out of the yard. One day they cleaned up about three gallons of busted pumpkin spice and strawberry syrup mixed with broken glass.
Otherwise, they say they have the best and most loyal customers around. That loyalty is what every Central IL small business is chasing.
If they were not running coffee and weddings, they would consider a drive in movie theater near the Shelbyville campgrounds, a wedding venue, or a wine trail shuttle. Tom joked that whoever already owns the wine trail shuttle website is lucky.
Marketing lesson: Tom is right about that website. A good domain and a site that ranks are real assets for any local business, and the earlier you claim yours, the bigger your head start on Google.
Shelbyville Businesses That Deserve More Love
Tom and Hannah gave a big shoutout to Frederick's pumpkin patch. Admission is donation based, so the corn pit and kids' games are free, and you only pay for pumpkins and treats. They also raved about the caramel apple slushies.
They are excited for Lily Land Play Cafe, an indoor play spot opening soon. It will give Shelby County families somewhere to go when it is cold and dark by 4 p.m.
How to Find Oliver Coffee and Blue Willow
Grab a drink at Oliver Coffee Company in downtown Shelbyville, IL, and follow them on Facebook for specials and staff videos. Watch for the peppermint menu Thanksgiving week.
To book a wedding photo and video team in Central Illinois or St. Louis, search Blue Willow Photography and Videography on Instagram and Google. Fall 2027 dates are going fast. Tell them you heard about them on the 217 Hustle Podcast.
Ready to Grow Your Local Business in Central Illinois?
Tom and Hannah show that a small town business can win at home and compete in a big market like St. Louis. The keys are knowing your advantage, showing up where your customers are, and being easy to find.
That is what we do at Protege Sales and Marketing. We help local businesses in Shelbyville, Mattoon, Effingham, Decatur, Charleston, Champaign, and across Central IL with website design, local SEO, and Google Business Profile management that brings in real customers.
Book your free marketing consultation with Protege Sales and Marketing today. We will show you where you rank on Google, where competitors are beating you, and the simplest path to more calls and more customers.
