A fourth-generation space becomes Farmington’s creative living room as Tara shares how a family dream turned a 1908 lumberyard into a thriving gallery and coffeehouse. We talk hiring, letting go, local marketing, open-entry art shows, and what’s next for the yard.
• origins of the gallery and coffee shop
• family legacy shaping a unique space
• early lessons in accounting and inventory
• marketing to tourists versus reaching locals
• hiring a baker and delegating to grow
• building team culture and confidence
• why the space attracts clubs and creatives
• renting for events and holiday prep
• themed art shows open to the public
• the hidden work of cleaning and compliance
• recipe costing and right-sized systems
• managing turnover and peer-led training
• five-year vision for an outdoor courtyard
• refocusing on emerging local artists
• practical advice on mentors and resources
Everybody come down. Check it out. If you haven’t been here, it’s really surprising when you walk in and you haven’t been here before. We’re open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5. Saturdays 8 to 3.
Step inside a 10,000-square-foot creative hub where the scent of fresh cinnamon rolls mingles with oil paint and coffee, and a century-old lumberyard has a second life as Farmington’s favorite gathering place. We sit with owner Tara Taylor to trace how a mother-daughter idea became Artifacts 302, a living room for the city where knitting circles, plein air painters, book clubs, and gamers share space — and where emerging artists get their first real shot.
Tara pulls back the curtain on the real work of running a hybrid gallery and café. She talks about the early missteps, the moment hiring an accountant changed everything, and the day she let go of the pastry bench and hired a baker so she could actually run the business. We dig into the toughest challenge — reaching locals in a noisy digital world — and why human touch points, open-call themed shows, and welcoming events outperform algorithms. If you’re building a small business, you’ll appreciate her no-fluff systems: recipe cost controls, team-first culture, teen-to-confident-barista training, and the patience to grow margins without losing soul.
There’s vision here, too. Tara shares plans to revive the old yard into a garden courtyard for outdoor weddings, plein air sessions, and live music that flows naturally into the indoor gallery. She’s steering the next chapter back to art — spotlighting up-and-coming local creators, hosting shows that lower barriers to entry, and making the gallery as dynamic as the espresso bar. It’s a grounded, generous roadmap for anyone who wants to turn a beloved space into a lasting community asset.
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