Dr. Scott Merritt

SPONSORED CONTENT www.myalmacoffee.com

QAEMD

@myalmacoffee

Local Roasters Work to Improve Lives

Not far from downtown Holly Springs, the winners of this year’s Around Canton Readers’ Choice contest in the Best Coffee Shop category have opened their doors to the public as a one-stop-shop for freshly roasted and ethically sourced coffee.

Alma Coffee (Alma means soul in Spanish) is a 4-year-old local business that has roots in five generations of Honduran coffee farmers. The co-owner, Leticia Hutchins, is the fifth-generation farmer in her family, and she runs Alma’s Cherokee Countybased cafe and roastery with her husband, Harry, and father, Al, who is a service-disabled U.S. Army veteran.

Between the three of them, Alma Coffee has transformed from a startup to a fully functional coffee shop, community coffee provider and public-facing roasting operation. It continues to provide local residents with roasted-to-order, farm-to-cup coffee aimed at improving lives.

The farm-to-cup philosophy allows Alma to maintain an exclusive and vertically integrated relationship with the family coffee farms in Honduras, which, in turn, provides fair wages and job opportunities for every person in the supply chain. When all is said and done, everyone, from coffee farmer to barista, reaps the benefits of doing business ethically, and you get to enjoy a high-quality cup you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

From planting the coffee seeds that take four full years to mature, harvest, process, export and import, to eventually roasting and brewing them, Alma’s vertical integration business model allows complete control over every step, ending here in your backyard at their roasting facility and cafe.

Alma Coffee offers a close-up look at the farm-to-cup operation, an experience unlike anything else you’ll see in North Georgia: the storefront cafe is housed inside the warehouse and roasting facility, strategically fenced in by a 40-foot, custom-built bar that allows you to enjoy your favorite drink or grab a bag of fresh beans while watching the coffee roasting process just a few feet away.

The selection has grown since the cafe’s doors opened in spring 2021; guests have a wide selection of drink options and housemade syrups, multiple indoor and outdoor seating areas, free Wi-Fi and conference room rentals, and freshly baked pastries from a locally owned Canton bakery.

If you’re just now hearing about Alma Coffee and want to learn more, be sure to stop by the cafe and roastery Sundays through Fridays, and introduce yourself to their highly enthusiastic and caffeinated team. Chances are, as you enjoy time in a few of your favorite businesses, bars or restaurants in Cherokee County, you’ll spot Alma’s iconic blue bag — if you don’t smell the coffee brewing first.

COLOR perfect

Clark Salon & Spa 10511 Bells Ferry Road, Suite 500, Canton, GA 30114 770-479-0052 | www.clarksalon.com E Clark Salon & Spa | Q @clarksalonandspa

Clark Salon & Spa is a full-service salon and spa that takes care of guests across North Georgia. Proudly serving the Woodstock and Canton communities for 21 years, Clark Salon & Spa has a team of more than 20 skilled professionals consisting of stylists, nail technicians, massage therapists and estheticians.

Salon owner Keenan Clark has worked hard building this business - started by his father, Billy Clark in July 1978 - to be the best it can be. In 2001, the salon was relocated from Atlanta to Cherokee County. Keenan has expanded and evolved the business to become a beautification and relaxation destination “that will leave you looking and feeling fabulous,” he said. “In fact, Clark Salon & Spa is the only full-service salon and spa in Georgia that offers floatation therapy with wave float rooms.”

Float Your Cares Away

Floatation therapy is a unique way to find relief from stress, sore or tired muscles, chronic pain, or even the negative news of the day. Keenan explained the process:

“You’ll float your cares away in your own float room in 10 inches of water with 1,000 pounds of pharmaceuticalgrade epsom salt. The water is heated to skin temperature at 93.3 degrees. You can choose to float with relaxing spa music and soothing LED light, or in total darkness and silence (the classic way to float).”

The ultimate relaxation and restorative experience is a 60-minute float followed by a massage or facial. A day at the spa package includes a float, massage, facial, pedicure and an organic smoothie from Harvest Moon. Gift cards are available at www.clarksalon.com

From left, salon manager and nail technician Alison Martin; stylist, manager and educator Sarah McNeely; stylist and educator Kara Ho-On. Keenan and his dad Billy, who started the business in 1978.

Color Perfection

Always committed to using the best color in the industry, Keenan chooses Schwarzkopf Color with no hesitation. Clark Salon & Spa is a fully certified Schwarzkopf Color salon.

Schwarzkopf Color was developed by colorists for colorists, and the team of professionals prides itself on using the award-winning hair color line as well as other top-notch product lines, such as R+Co and Moroccan Oil.

“In my 20 years of being a hair colorist, it’s definitely the best hair color I’ve ever worked with,” Keenan