LAKE ASBURY - When you step outside into the crisp air at 2851 Henley Road, there's a rich smell emanating from the walkway.

It's what some call cozy, divine and a reminder of what comes from the Earth.

Present Tense Coffee and Books is not only home to an assortment of java beverages, a variety of books, meaningful connections, weddings, baby showers and bridal breakfasts. It's also home to Lake Asbury's only roasting company.

Mocking Bird Coffee Co. is a product of owner Amy Pusakulich's burgeoning passion for espresso.

Pusakulich knows just what it takes to create the perfect cup of coffee. However, it took years of research and practice for her to achieve this. She opened Present Tense Coffee and Books back in 2023.

A former child protective services worker, Pusakulich said coffee was never on her radar. It wasn't until during her tenure, when her mother became ill with colon cancer, that she would often turn to coffee for her long days and nights of balancing work and being a caregiver. 

"I went into my first coffee shop. I had literally never been into a Starbucks, never had," she said. "Just maybe a cup of coffee at a restaurant now and then, but [I] never knew coffee culture."

She fell in love with it. 

"You know, with the procedure and looking at the big Mastrena machine. And the baristas at that particular Starbucks were very kind. They began to know me by name."

Coffee centered her. Pusakulich began studying and even attending seminars, knowing that one day she would join the growing number of coffee enthusiasts.

Years after retiring and following a move to Clay in 2021, she opened the doors to the shop. Pusakulich established herself as the first woman in her family to achieve this success.

"Every woman in my family, their dream was to open a shop. No one ever did because they never had the courage to do it," she said. 

Following such an accomplishment, she began growing her business.

When she bought the store from its previous owner, it had already held the two-prong model - books and coffee - that exists today. She chose to build off that.

"This is a nice [place where] you get out of the heat in the summer, sit in a nice, cool, peaceful shop and read your book, have your coffee. Again, it's soothing, it's comfort."

Present Tense Coffee and Books has even been the go-to host of several book signings for local authors.

Adult and children's books line the walls, while customers venture in and out with their desired orders—a well-oiled machine. And with the help of an in-house coffee roaster, Pusakulich has begun not only selling coffee but also faithfully crafting her own blends that customers rave about. 

Recognized as the "Best New Product" by the Specialty Coffee Association, according to their website, the TikTok-famous Bellwether Coffee roaster is electric and ventless, allowing businesses to roast hundreds of pounds of coffee per week. And their marketplace provides access to both organically and sustainably sourced coffee farmers from around the world.

Pusakulich said the roasting process with her beloved "Nessie" is intricate.

"I let them slow infuse in the back for seven days, and then I pour them out. I don't grind immediately. I leave it, and then they're ground fresh when the customer wants."

For her specialty fusions, spiced pumpkin and caramel apple sell out weekly. Butterscotch and caramel, featured during the shop's Harry Potter event this year, made up her biggest day of sales.

She said the store has seen a 35% jump in sales so far.

"One day I switched over to my beans and didn't say anything, and the response was phenomenal," she said.

What was originally the size of a telephone booth, Pusakulich was one of the first to receive the new countertop version after being on a long waitlist.

"I knew it was going to be important because, again, this is a small town, small community. And for them to say, you have your own roaster, is something."

From having regular customers who look forward to watching their coffee roast in person, to wide-eyed Girl Scouts who frequent the shop for field trips, Pusakulich said that having Nessie brings the community closer to her business.

"They know, number one, exactly where they're beans are being roasted. I have an arabica coffee pine up in the front so they can literally see what a plant looks like. They see the green beans, and I'm happy to talk about it all the time."

Next, Pusakulich said she plans to try out beans from Yemen and robusta beans from Vietnam. With her website launching soon, Pusakulich said she hopes to expand her reach by shipping products directly to customers.

"I take it very seriously, and I'm very proud of our beans," she said. "Very proud of my coffee."