Grapevine shop offers calm, coffee and gifts

The aroma of freshly ground, flavored coffee distinguishes Holy Grounds from other shops on Main Street in Grapevine, lures customers inside.

Owners Liz Hendricks and Nancy Rosol said the coffee — $20,000 worth of it — came with the shop when they bought it in 2006. Their love of shopping took care of the rest of the inventory.

Visitors who come in to sample the coffee of the day find soothing gifts, some handcrafted by Texas artists, many with a spiritual bent, pocket crosses, decorative pillows, hand-sculpted figures, tiles embossed with words such as "grace," or "true love."

Says Rosol, of Lewisville, "People say there's just a calming feeling when you walk in the store."

But shoppers should take care where they step. Rosol's schnauzer, Ken, and Hendricks' lab, Barbee, are usually lying around somewhere. The dogs, who sometimes play with children while their parents shop, are so popular they have their own business cards.

The two women met as volunteers for GRACE (Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange) about 15 years ago. They worked with the transitional housing program by finding donations for furnishings, toiletries and food. Once they had all the materials, they decorated the homes.

Inspired by the experiences with families, they tried their hands at helping women who needed to earn money, by setting up a space at Grapevine's downtown open-air market. They paid for the space, and women could make items and sell them there.

Hendricks and Rosol found they enjoyed selling items they had chosen for the market themselves, and when the former Rick Rack Market went up for sale, they bought the store and renamed it Holy Grounds.

They enjoy filling the walls and shelves.

"We do not miss a shopping opportunity," said Hendricks, of Southlake, who previously worked as a buyer for Neiman Marcus. "Shopping is our spiritual gift."

Pieces made in the North Texas area and elsewhere in the state are bestsellers, Rosol said.

Sometimes, they said, artists come in with items they'd like to see sold in the store. Those who are trying to make better lives for themselves get strong consideration .

Over time, the inventory has evolved along with the owners' and customers' needs and interests.

They've added a pet section, a Catholic Corner and a grief section. And, since becoming grandmothers, they've added a baby section.

Most days, the owners are at the shop putting items up on the crowded walls and shelves or unpacking their latest treasures.

"It comes in and it's like opening up Christmas," Rosol said.

Coffees

Holy Grounds offers more than 100 varieties of flavored coffees made by Neighbors Coffee in Oklahoma. Adults can try a sample of the day for free. Children get juice boxes and cookies.

Prices

• Regular coffee, $9.99 a half-pound or $15.49 a pound
• Decaffeinated, $10.99 a half-pound and $16.49 a pound
• Gift prices range from $1.99 to $350

Special touches

Customers who purchase a Bible can have their name imprinted on it for free.

The shop usually is open by 10 a.m. and closes around 6 or 7 p.m. unless it's very busy or someone calls asking them to wait.

A wall covered with hundreds of notes and names is a prayer wall that started when someone asked for prayers for a family member. New prayer requests come in almost daily. They say the prayers before they leave work. Hendricks and Rosol never remove a name from the wall and people often return to update them and thank them.

Holy Grounds, 336 S. Main St., Grapevine, 817-329-0298, www.holygroundsshop.com

Hours : vary, according to season. Typically 10 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m.