Coffee with a side of camaraderie

A convenience store is just a quick pit stop for most drivers on their morning commute. But every Monday through Friday morning, the Kangaroo gas station on Valleydale Road is filled with talk — and plenty of laughter — from about 10 regulars who have formed an unofficial morning coffee group.

From 6 to 7 a.m., any topic is on the table: family, work, politics, news and — in particular — giving each other a hard time. Caldwell Mill area resident Bo Coshatt is called the founder of the group, as he and Chelsea resident Paul Orman and Wilsonville resident Joey Campanotta began meeting regularly at the Kangaroo about 16 years ago.

“Best part of my day,” Campanotta said.

Others have made the coffee group part of their routine over the years, some invited by friends and others who stopped at the Kangaroo for gas or coffee and wondered what the ruckus was about. 

“We all used to live around here … so we all ended up coming here,” Orman said.

Not all the members of the group have been frequenting the Kangaroo for 16 years, but the group does have some longevity. Jack Hartsfield, an Oak Mountain resident, still considers himself a newcomer after about seven years.

Campanotta said there’s a common cord of friendship built in that hour each weekday morning over jokes, news and a cup of coffee. Though he has to leave early to make it to the Kangaroo before work, Campanotta said the payoff is worth it.

“Normally I leave and go to work in a better mood,” Campanotta said. “This is my laughter for the day.”

While they’re mostly Auburn fans and have a political stance that member John Pierce described as Republican “and hang a hard right,” their backgrounds vary. The regular coffee group includes men who work in landscape supply, general contracting, publishing, military service, heavy equipment and casket sales. There’s also Steve Whone, a Connecticut native who Pierce described as the group’s “token Yankee.”

“If we want the northern opinion — or the wrong opinion — we go to him,” Pierce said.

The lively conversations each morning often draw in passing Kangaroo customers or Jefferson and Shelby county sheriff’s deputies while on shift, which Pierce said is part of the fun. Though they occupy the coffee area of the Kangaroo or the sidewalk for about an hour each day, Hartsfield said he doesn’t think the store employees mind.

“We’re half their revenue for the day,” Hartsfield said.

“We drop some coin here,” Pierce added.

Over 16 years, Coshatt said the group has lost a few members, added some gray hairs and there’s more talk of grandchildren now. But they’re an incredibly close group of guys and if someone doesn’t show up for a few days, Coshatt said one of the other regulars is sure to call and check up on them.

Inverness resident Trey Bass said he first met the morning coffee group as a passerby who asked a question. Now they’re not only friends, but also a source of regular advice.

“[It’s] an incredibly grounded group of men that bring a lot of family to me,” Bass said.

True to the group’s character, Bass’ serious statement didn’t stand alone for long.

“He [Bass] actually brings a lot of class to the group,” Orman joked.