joconnell@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - The small coffee kiosk in the Kinport Junction building now has a sitting area with tables, cushy seats and cafe walls covered by Amy Millward's original photographs.

She calls it the "buddy room" because she's so many strangers get to know one another while drinking caffeinated beverages in the new close and comfy quarters of Kinport Coffee Company.

The expansion was made possible because Millward found a business partner, Corinna Hencley, who runs Spoil Me Salon and Spa in the basement of Kinport Junction, 815 S. First St.

In the process of seizing on an opportunity to grow their own business, Millward and Hencley also helped the Pocatello Co-op Natural Foods solve a dilemma. During a recent membership meeting co-op board members said they could no longer afford to rent such a large space. Kinport Coffee had a wall removed and the cafe walls installed, taking up 400 square feet of the co-op's former space and enabling customers who had been getting to-go coffee to stick around and enjoy the atmosphere in the converted warehouse.

The wall was removed about a month ago, and on Monday, the coffee shop expanded its business hours. It's now open 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

She's already seen business increase.

"It changes the whole dynamic. People would get stuff to go, and my main demographic was people already in the building," Millward said. "I want it to get the vibe that it's the really comfortable place in the warehouse district where people can come and hang out."

The new partners have had an eclectic customer base so far. Friday mornings, a group of school teachers come to spend time together at the shop. On Wednesdays, they play host to a book club of retired teachers. They also get mountain bikers, co-op shoppers and people who stop by after pilates workouts.

Millward learned to love the coffee business about 14 years ago, when she worked for a couple years at Moxie Java, now Mocha Madness. She left the shop for a job at the Idaho National Laboratory as an environmental consultant. After being laid off by the INL, she started staffing the coffee bar as a part-time job. In March, she bought it.

She's had fun as a small business owner, including making radio commercials and other aspects of promoting the business.

Hencley will work shifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and half days on Saturdays. Hencley said she's always loved coffee shops, and by pooling her resources with Millward's, the expansion was made possible.

"We feel confident because we know we have each other. It would probably be very scary to do it without each other," Hencley said, adding they each have different strengths to make the business successful.

Millward hopes to allow bands to hang posters in the business and will get a projector for shows featuring her own works and works by other artists and photographers.

She plans to soon host events at the business showings of Mystery Science Theater 3,000 and tea tastings.