Sneads Beans wakes up Sneads Ferry

There is a sniper in Sneads Ferry!

The "Sniper" is just one of the specialty coffee drinks offered by Tom and Anna-Marie Daley, the proprietors of Sneads Beans, the new coffee shop in Sneads Ferry.

"'The Sniper' is drip coffee with a shot (or more) of espresso," explained Anna-Marie. "We named it in honor of our friends at Stone Bay and MARSOC (Marine Special Operations Command)," she explained.

These might be the same uniformed friends who, if heading to an early morning muster, can drive around to the back of Sneads Beans to have their coffee served to them car-side.

That small gesture reveals the big hearts of the Daley's. For example, to recognize the plight of coffee farmers, they serve only coffee which is fair-trade and organic.  "Besides," Anna-Marie said, "I believe it tastes better."

The Daleys chose to name the shop "Sneads Beans" to reflect their new community, having arrived from the Washington, DC area in 2006.

"This is the first duty station here I haven't been homesick a day." said Anna-Marie. "We really love the small town feel of Sneads Ferry." They express their appreciation by offering great coffee and great service-and that includes reaching out to the community.

They joined in with other local businesses to support the fundraisers for Josiah Allen. Each month beginning in April, they will offer a different specialty latte with a portion of sales going to either a local or military-related charity. Come summer, trivia nights and live music on the lawn outside the shop will be a challenge to those who complain that there is little to do here in town. 

Local artists can display their work alongside Tom's photographs. Not only is Tom active-duty and pulls his weight in the coffee shop, but he is also an award-winning photographer, entirely self-taught. And his handyman skills are showcased throughout the shop.

Coffee-sippers have a choice of seating, perhaps in front of one of the large picture windows to watch the world go by on Hwy 172, or at the roomy counter where they can read one of the local newspapers. Two round tables are large enough to spread out those newspapers. There is a room that can be reserved for meetings.

But even with the cheery yellow walls and the snappy black and white checked floor, it will be hard to resist sitting down with a ‘Sniper' outside at the bistro table or in one of the club chairs, now that spring is here.

Sneads Beans is located at 2121 Hwy 172 in Sneads Ferry.  Hours are Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday opening hours are seasonal. The phone number is (910) 327-0070.