Heights Plaza buzzes with opening of Harvest Moon's 2nd location

Scott Walmsley relaxed in a velvet armchair with a hot beverage Wednesday morning during the grand opening of Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates in Heights Plaza in Harrison. He couldn’t have looked more content.

“This is exactly what I’d be doing at home,” said Walmsley of Freeport. “It’s a comfortable atmosphere.”

While enjoying a chat, with friend Dianna Roney of Tarentum, the pair said they wanted to support the opening of Harvest Moon and come together with the community.

It’s exactly what owner Desiree Singleton is aiming for with the new location, which has an abbreviation of its Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates on the storefront, HMC².

She also operates the original shop along Corbet Street in Tarentum.

“The goal is to have more seating available and provide a place where everyone can come together,” said Singleton, a 1997 Highlands graduate.

The shop, near the post office and PNC Bank, opened before sunrise. It will offer expanded hours from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays because of the close proximity to Highlands High School and the middle school.

Store manager Jill Schubert said the staff will include teens who can walk over after school and work part time.

She said excitement has been brewing among patrons eager for a fix of LaPrima brand coffee and hand-dipped Belgian chocolates. The site also will offer deluxe pastries, such as pumpkin cookies and banana bread made in-house by veteran local baker Mary Coward-Pierce.

“There’s nothing really up here,” Schubert said. “We’re happy to bring what we have in Tarentum and offer it here in an effort to bring the community together.”

Singleton, 44, grew up in Tarentum before moving to Virginia and, later, Washington, D.C.

In those cities, she has seen the power of a coffee shop on small-town revitalization. She hopes to be part of that effort to spark new life in Heights Plaza, which for decades was the community hub.

Long-term plans for the shop include special events such as chocolate making and maybe game nights.

Early reviews from customers were favorable.

Janet Lang of Tarentum and Rita Jackson of East Deer met for breakfast.

“The raspberry scone is my go-to,” Jackson said. “It was wonderful.”

Lang, a frequent customer in the Tarentum store, had the quiche and a chai tea. She also picked up some chocolates for her grandson.

“We knew it was opening today, so we wanted to see what it was like,” Lang said. “It is fantastic.”