Sessions Stand
Sessions Stand, a walk-up coffee shop that opened in 2018, expanded to a much larger building early this August. The overwhelming support and popularity within Marietta allowed owner Katie Pfister to fulfill her dream of bringing her touch to the Marietta community.
“We wanted to bring something to the community that we saw that there was a need for,” Pfister said.
At the end of her Sessions journey, she wanted a place where people could gather other than the Square to showcase all of what Marietta had to offer. Phister references Sessions Stand as a “community hall” where people are welcome to come and throw events, have meetings, or even just go out for coffee with a friend. Growing up in Marietta, Pfister has learned that Marietta is a big group of friends and family. So, when starting her business she wanted to find a way to bring the community together.
“Marietta has been a support in all of the things that we have done, more so than we could probably imagine,” Pfister said.
From starting in a 500-square-foot building, the community has supported them so much that they were able to expand to a 5,000-square-foot building in just five years. Even through the pandemic, they received continual support towards Sessions Stand because it was always to go and there was an overall love for the business. They were lucky enough never to have to shut down during this time and that helped them grow even closer to the community.
“It was a way for us to feel like we were giving back to the community…and that is what the whole [Sessions Stand] has been about,” Pfister said.
The Reading Attic
The mother and daughter duo, Elizabeth Kunetz and Caroline Tillman, knew that the Square was missing something special and decided to welcome the Marietta community into their family and love for reading. The two opened up The Reading Attic in June of this year and have been flooded with support from the city. Growing up in Marietta, Tillman had always had a passion for reading and wanted to find a way to give back to the community.
“I just feel like The Square needed this, and that’s why it felt right,” Tillman said.
The community supported the business when opening, with new people coming in every day excited because there was finally a more local bookstore in Marietta. Everyone who walks in the door continues to show support by telling friends and family all about the bookstore. As well as spreading word of mouth, local churches, and elementary schools have gotten flyers to hang in a show of support.
“[Marietta] has all really rallied around us,” Tillman said.
With all of this popularity, Tillman has started to recognize people who come in and out of the store regularly. She mentions a family who often brings their homeschooled kids into the store. The dog-friendly store appeals to many children with their store dog, Fields, who welcomes everyone into the store with his fluffy fur and bright smile. As the local business strives in The Square, they start to notice more and more regulars wanting to know about all of the events that the bookstore had to offer. Creating a safe and welcoming spot in The Square was exactly what the community needed with The Reading Attic being able to fulfill that missing piece in just a few months.
Poole’s Pharmacy
Since 1974, Poole’s Pharmacy has been providing for the people of Marietta. The family-owned business is currently run by Thomas Sherrer. Sherrer was inspired by his father, John T Sherrer, and business partner, Bob Poole, who originally opened Poole’s and inspired Sherrer to go to school for pharmacy and take over the family business. Poole’s is very invested in Marietta, especially at MHS. Many MHS students who wish to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals are employed at Poole’s working in customer service.
“Since I took over the business in 2015, we have employed 16 Marietta High School Students with 4 of those being current MHS students,” Sherrer said.
Being in Marietta for so long, Sherrer has seen generations of families come in and out of the store daily. Poole’s has seen patients go from small children to full adults. Generations after generations will continue to choose Pooles as their local pharmacy.
“[Creating a bond with regulars] has become a lasting legacy for our pharmacy…Many of our patients we’ve grown to know so well that they feel more like family than patients/customers,” Sherrer said.
Along with sponsoring many MHS activities, Poole’s can be seen at Northcutt Stadium on Friday nights during football season at Marietta Fan Fast. With his support for the Marietta community, the Marietta community has shown their support for Poole’s. The pharmacy has been able to expand continually by providing new and updated services as opposed to just distributing medications. Sherrer credits Marietta for being able to keep their business open.
“Without the support of the Marietta community, not only would our pharmacy not be open, it would not have been possible for us to expand our business model,” Sherrer said.
Being a well-known name in Marietta, Poole’s has become the go-to pharmacy for many and will continue to create their family-like connections for years to come.
