Coffee Roaster & UMW Grad Buys Hyperion
L-R: Heather Evans, Jack Scholl, Amanda Jones
Welcome back, Jack!
“Hyperion is an iconic place, right up there with Carl’s,” said its new owner, Jack Scholl, a couple of days after purchasing the same coffee shop that he fondly remembers from his UMW days.
Dan Peterson and Ana Brugos quietly sold the Hyperion to Jack on August 15. He is well aware that people from the Fredericksburg area, visitors, and UMW students, have been devoted to the shop since it opened in 1994. Hyperion hosts conversations, ambiance and art – and a wide-array of delicious coffee, teas and pastries. This location, and the creative and kind personalities of Ana, Dan and their staff, made a transformative impact on Fredericksburg for three decades.
I spoke with several regular customers to see if they had noticed any changes. The smooth transition was verified. All answer were unified. And I can personally testify… Everything tastes the same – and is still great!
Jack Scholl also was happy to report that the staff, ALL of the staff, are serving customers their favorite items. “We haven’t lost any of the staff, and I think morale is high.”
What else could we reasonably expect, when a beloved business “icon” changes hands?
We received more than should expected – because Jack grew up in a parallel coffee universe.
Jack’s family has been in the coffee business since 1990. Jack’s parents owned Lexington Coffee on another historic street, with a brick sidewalk in downtown Lexington, Virginia – another city steeped in history. “It was a true mom and pop shop,” Jack asserted.
“Back in the 90’s there weren’t a bunch of roasters, so eventually Lexington Coffee started wholesaling to other coffee shops in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. In the beginning, we roasted in the house. One day it snowed and the truck couldn’t get up the hill to get the coffee. We used our sleds to move the beans down the hill….I was always in the shop, there was even a little area – set apart – where I played LEGOS.”
Coffee is in Jack’s blood. After high school, he attended UMW and graduated in 2011. He recalled frequenting Hyperion during his college years, and he is eager to welcome students from his alma mater to his new place.
Eventually, Lexington Coffee expanded their roasting facility and relocated an operation to U.S. 11 as “ROADMAP COFFEEWORKS.” Roadmap has a coffee bar where you can watch the roasting as you sip, or enjoy a relaxing patio experience in the “coffee garden” or zip by via their drive-thru. Coffee Review placed one of Roadmap Coffeeworks roasts continually among the Top 30 Coffees of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
What a caffeinated convergence of good fortune. How blessed we have been to have our “iconic” Hyperion for 30 years offering coffee, conversation, and commitment to community. We now add 30+ years of roasting and growing another amazing coffee business – with extraordinary reviews. Plus, the excitement of another UMW graduate, being drawn back to Fredericksburg, as a business owner.
Hyperion’s new owner is planning to introduce a few of Roadmaps’ favorite roasts, slowly, in phases, to Fredericksburg. He is delighted with the new bustling “William Street” a little busier than he remembers from his student days. Jack is eager to get to know us, and we are ready to get to know him.
Welcome back, Jack!