In a few weeks a new coffee and ice cream shop, Serendipity, will be opening its Otterbein-friendly doors on College Ave. The new shop will feature hand-dipped ice cream, a new twist on soft serve, coffee, pastries and Panini sandwiches. Debbie Mitchell, shop owner and Westerville resident, said, "My husband always says that it's good to give back to the community that you live in."
The Mitchells wanted to create a student-oriented environment as well as fulfill their dreams of owning their own business. Mitchell is in the process of making Serendipity Cardinal Card friendly and hopes to be the first of many off-campus Cardinal Card locations. In Mitchell's pursuit of Otterbein involvement, she contacted Hannah Teitt, the facilitator of the Starving Artists through the Otterbein Art Department. The Starving Artists decided as a group that they would assist with decorating the new shop. This includes pottery and a mural that will coat an entire room of the establishment. The mural will be designed by Otterbein students Billy Fry and Flint Garrabrant with assistance by many other "Starving Artists." Serendipity has several extra features geared toward the college students of Otterbein. The shop has free Wi-Fi Internet, as well as a back garden with lawn space for small group events such as corn-hole tournaments. "Westerville is a town that has a college, not a college town," she said when commenting on her inspiration for the shop. In addition to Serendipity's appeal to college-age costumers, she hopes to attract many local families, offering an enjoyable environment for both parents and children to themselves. She hopes that the "Flavor Burst" soft serve ice cream, choosing a flavor to be twisted in with the typical soft serve flavors, will attract a lot of kids because of its childlike appeal. Fry, one of the mural designers, located inside of the shop, said that he can see many Otterbein students enjoying themselves at Serendipity. He enjoyed his time spent at Serendipity so much that he decided to work there. Fry said that the majority of shop applicants are Otterbein students. Fry and Garrabarant said they are working with Mitchell to set up a number of art shows with Starving Artists and concerts featuring local talent at the shop. The new shop will be located at 33 College Ave. Store hours are yet to be determined. t&c;
