Adam’s Flying Pig Coffee House started out as a mother’s dream to create a space for her son

By Taylor Burnette

Owner Tammy Salmons first dreamed up her coffee shop over 10 years ago to provide a space for adults with disabilities to work while serving up some tasty drinks and other goods to the community.

As Salmons worked towards her dream, friends and family joked that the coffee house would open up “when pigs fly.” However, the pigs did take flight, and Adam’s Flying Pig Coffee House is now located at 9107 Ohio River Rd Unit A in Wheelersburg, Ohio.

Salmons also named it after her son, Adam.

“The reason we wanted to do this was because my son has autism,” Salmons said. “I just wanted to have something that he could always find employment with, and then he has different friends with different disabilities also, and I wanted to be able to  incorporate hiring people like him or those with different challenges.”

Currently, Adam works in the shop, but Salmons hopes to open it up for more people with disabilities by bringing in job coaches to help out along the way.

In the meantime, Adam’s Flying Pig Coffee House will keep serving up coffee sourced from Crimson Cup, based in Columbus, Ohio. Aside from their drip coffee, they also have espresso-based drinks like lattes and mochas. Everything can be either hot, iced or frozen.

“You can have any of your coffees made any way you want,” Salmons said. “Our signature drink is a ‘Flying Pig’ mocha. And that is a very yummy coffee.”

The Flying Pig, Salmons’ favorite, is a white mocha with caramel and espresso, and like the other drinks, can be served hot, iced or frozen.

But coffee isn’t all the coffee house offers. There are also baked goods, like the glazed croissants from Scent From Heaven Bakery, and the doughnuts and scones, blueberry or cinnamon, baked in house. Another favorite is the “Adam’s Chocolate Chip Cookie,” named after Adam himself.

Additionally, they have items like smoothies, teas and hot chocolate for those who are not fans of coffee. All of the shop’s items range from around $1.75 to $5.75, depending on the size and item ordered.

Salmons and her family have a love of traveling, and, on those travels, they love finding mom-and-pop coffee shops wherever they go. This helped spark the inspiration to bring their own unique shop to Wheelersburg.

With their soft opening on Sept. 4 and their grand opening on Nov. 10, the shop has only been open during the coronavirus pandemic, but Salmons said this hasn’t been an issue so far. Their drive-thru has lent itself well to the current circumstances.

“A lot of people are just driving through, getting their coffee and leaving, but we do have some people that do come in,” Salmons said. “We try to keep the social distance, and it’s very safe and very, very clean all the time.”

So far, the coffee house has received many different customers, from friends and family to community members, and those just coming in to see Adam.

“He never meets a stranger, and the people who do meet Adam don’t forget him,” Salmons said.

The drive-thru has even received some furry customers, because the coffee house gives out “pup cups” with whipped cream and a dog treat.

With the inviting environment of a coffee shop, and good tasting food and drinks, Salmons said she has had many coffee lovers come through.

“There’s a whole lot of people that just want coffee,” Salmons said. “I knew that before, but it really has been eye-opening to see how many people just enjoy coffee and want that in their environment or in their daily lives.”

Looking ahead to the future, Salmons said she is working to open up employment in the shop to people with disabilities.

“I want it to be a good awareness for people with disabilities, and to find a place to work as a place for them to have a special life,” Salmons said. “And [also] for them to be seen and welcomed into the community, and to just feel proud of their jobs.”