Kourtney Millard had been thinking about a gathering place — coffee, food, something for the community — for years before the right building became available. When a pilot friend urged her to act, "buy the ticket, take the ride," she took the words seriously. A week later he died in a plane crash. Millard decided that was the moment to stop thinking and start building.
She approached Steve Neeleman, who had purchased the old Sinclair garage in Orderville in 2020, and proposed converting two unused mechanic bays into a coffee shop. He agreed. The Shop Coffee Co opened in February 2022 at 15 East Main Street, with murals by local artist Kristen Johnson covering the walls — including a tribute to her pilot friend’s plane soaring above Zion. A model of the plane hangs in a corner of the shop.
The business now employs more than twenty year-round staff, sources its coffee from Deep Creek and Springdale roasters, bakes fresh pastries daily, and carries Utah-made products. It sits on Highway 89 in Orderville between Bryce Canyon and Zion, which makes it a natural stop on two of the most-traveled scenic routes in the American Southwest. But Millard built it as a gathering place for the 600 people who live here, not primarily for the people passing through. The fact that passing-through-people now stop is a consequence, not the cause.
**Verification notes** Website live; Kourtney Millard confirmed as co-owner and manager via Southern Utah Independent feature article; February 2022 opening confirmed; location at 15 E Main St, Orderville confirmed on Yelp; 20+ year-round employees confirmed in article; sourcing from Deep Creek and Springdale roasters confirmed; independently operated.