A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Cheri Ford

Cheri Ford, owner of Old Dog Coffee House, has cemented herself as not only a confident business owner, but a strong figure in the Lowell community.

For Ford and her husband, the idea to start their business came out of the blue. On a visit to Frankenmuth, Michigan, the couple stopped by a small coffee shop, where they were struck by the aesthetics of the place.

“We were sitting there and decided our small town needed something like it to enjoy,” Ford said.

On their return home, the two began to think further about the project. However, they quickly noted a problem with their goal: neither one of them had a good amount of knowledge on coffee houses or how they operated. This lack of knowledge mismatched the ambitions they had for their project. They turned to local guidance.

“We had no experience in coffee prior to opening,” Ford said. “We relied heavily on local roasters that trained us on all knowledge of coffee.”

In December 2019, Old Dog Coffee House hosted its grand opening. Ford emphasized the success of the business pulled heavily from the team that she and her husband assembled.

“We’re grateful for our employees,” Ford said. “You cannot run a successful business with good staff that backs you.”

Old Dog Coffee House offers a variety of goods, including coffee, tea, smoothies, seasonal drinks, and baked goods. It carries dairy-free alternatives to milk, offering a wide range of options to customers. The coffee beans come from local roasters and are available to purchase for those who would like their own local coffee supply at home.

On top of the goods they provide, Ford and her husband seek to provide a space for people to build community.

“My favorite part is the returning customers,” Ford said. “I love seeing them return every day or every week and building those relationships with them.”

Outside of fostering relationships between workers and customers, Old Dog Coffee House gives customers the agency to use the space in ways that will serve them best, be it as individuals independently working or people gathering over drinks to socialize.

Since starting Old Dog Coffee House, Ford has received multiple points of recognition for her work as a business owner. In 2023, she appeared on the cover of Northwest Indiana’s Woman to Woman Magazine. This past May, Old Dog Coffee House received first place in The Times’ Best of the Region Coffee and Coffee House categories, marking its second consecutive year receiving these honors and its fifth year of placing in the Best of the Region competition. Each of these honors came from community votes, highlighting the impact Ford and her husband have made on Lowell.

Their time running the business has allowed them to further serve the community through multiple efforts, including providing their services to the Lowell Indiana Chamber of Commerce and past events hosted by the group. The couple has also used their position to sponsor local teams and clubs.

They especially appreciate their ability to give back to initiatives in Lowell that work to benefit each resident, such as Emergency Services.

In the way of forming connections and offering community, both Ford and her husband have worked to give their best to the community, be it through financial sponsorship, operating a welcoming business, or one-on-one connections between themselves and customers. Ford is grateful to the people who have frequented Old Dog Coffee House and have allowed it to stay strong as the years go by.

“Customers are the ones that keep the business running,” Ford said. “They return when you give them things they want and look forward to.”For more information about Old Dog Coffee House, you can visit its Instagram, Facebook, or its website.