Coffee shop opens in old St. Clair bus stop October 15, 2011

Maxine Scheske, 77, has opened The Old Bus Stop Coffee Shop along old Route 66 in what was an old bus depot in St. Clair, Mo., according to The Missourian of Washington, Mo.

The coffee shop, which doubles as an art gallery for works by locals, is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Scheske said she opened the vacant space because she wanted a place were residents could “just relax and hang out.”

As far as the building, Scheske said it was constructed in 1940 “and has quite a history of various usages.”

She believes the building originally was constructed to house a car dealership and adjoining garage, and it later became the St. Clair bus depot along the old historic Route 66, which now is Commercial Avenue through parts of the city.

The building was purchased and turned into an auto parts store, and it remained that until about 1989. It then became Moe’s Pizza. It later was a Mexican restaurant and other cafes, Scheske said.

The Old Bus Stop Coffee Shop is at 545 N. Commercial Ave. (map here).