Ground-A-Bout buys Sikeston’s Parengo Coffee

JACKSON, Mo. — Visitors to uptown Jackson might notice a new aroma: the heady fragrance of fresh coffee beans, roasting in a big red machine in the basement of The Ground-A-Bout at 107 E. Adams St.

“We’re pretty excited to be doing this,” owner Bob Schooley said.

Schooley, who owns the shop with his wife, Serena, said his company recently acquired Parengo Coffee of Sikeston, Missouri.

Parengo Coffee shop will remain open in Sikeston, Schooley said: “We just bought the roasting and wholesale distributorship side.”

Parengo Coffee’s line of roasted coffee beans will be roasted on site at The Ground-A-Bout, Schooley said, along with The Ground-A-Bout’s blend, and others.

Schooley said Colby Williams, who owned Parengo Coffee, was a huge help when Schooley was starting up on East Adams, two years ago.

Schooley said Williams helped early on with training baristas and making equipment lists, and since Williams had a distributorship, Schooley ordered supplies through him.

Williams’ distributorship was “substantial,” Schooley said, including not only coffee beans, but cups, lids, syrups — all supplies one would need for a coffee shop.

Schooley said 10 to 12 regional shops are served by the distributorship.

“It’s a steep learning curve,” but Williams is helping with the business and the roasting, Schooley said.

“We don’t think the coffee can get any better, so we don’t want to change a thing with that,” Schooley said.

A brand-new website is up and running, Schooley added. Built by Element 74, www.thegroundabout.com offers both wholesale and retail sales options.

“We’ll expand, with any luck,” Schooley said.