VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX 18) — In the heart of downtown Versailles, The Amsden offers a unique combination of specialty coffee, children's play space and retail shopping all under one historic roof. The business is preparing to celebrate its eighth anniversary on Small Business Saturday.
"We have a little bit of everything," said Emily Riddle, owner of The Amsden. "We're about to celebrate our 8th anniversary coming up on Small Business Saturday just a week, a little over a week. We are a coffee shop and a play café then we have a small retail space as well."
Riddle and her husband purchased the historic building in early 2017 and completed a full renovation before opening in November of that year. The building, which originally housed Amsden Bank, has served various purposes throughout its history, including operating as a grocery store for many years during the 1970s.
"It was originally a bank obviously. It's carved Amsden Bank outside our door so that's why we decided to just stick with the name," Riddle said. "But it was a grocery store for many years. A lot of pictures that I found from the 70's, it was a grocery store."
The café currently features an extensive holiday menu that has proven popular with customers. The grinch matcha latte leads the seasonal offerings, alongside traditional favorites like Christmas cookie lattes, snickerdoodle lattes and peppermint mochas.
"The matcha lattes are very popular right now. So we have a grinch matcha latte for the holiday menu. So that is probably the most popular," Riddle said. "And then just the standards. Like we do a Christmas cookie latte and a snickerdoodle latte for the holidays. Peppermint mocha, those are always very popular as well."
Beyond coffee service, The Amsden operates a play café designed for families with children. The space includes a library nook, art area and seasonal play spaces that rotate throughout the year. The play café operates on an admission basis with monthly membership options available for unlimited visits.
"This used to all be retail but now this space is our play café where kids and families can come enjoy time in here. We have a library nook, an art space and then these play spaces behind me that rotate seasonally as well," Riddle said. "So it's admission based, and we also have memberships too, where you can get unlimited visits for a monthly price."
The Amsden will celebrate Small Business Saturday on November 29 with extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The celebration will include special giveaways, a hot chocolate topping bar, carolers downtown and horse and carriage rides throughout the day.
