UPDATE: The Andersons have decided to postpone the closing date and will offer limited hours for now.
After 30 years of serving the community, Frankie and Rose Anderson of Frankie’s Southern Grinds will grind their last cup of joe in April.
The story started with a comical misunderstanding. The couple retired from the Army at Fort Bragg after a combined 36 years of service. In June 1995, Frankie wanted an espresso machine for their house. A friend who worked at a coffee shop in Spring Lake misunderstood, and before long, Frankie was looking to buy a coffee shop.
Frankie, by chance, stumbled upon one in downtown Southern Pines years before there was one on every corner. The woman who owned it was moving the exact day that Frankie was retiring, so it seemed like the perfect fit.
“It was a nice fall day; I got out of my car and walked around, but when I got back in my car, I looked up and there was an espresso shop right there, a small little espresso shop,” recalled Frankie. “I got in my car, put it in reverse, was backing up … and I pulled back up and said, ‘let me go talk to this girl.’”
Frankie still remembers the day like it was yesterday.
“Her name was Janet,” said Frankie. “I told her what I was doing there, and she said: ‘Why don’t you buy my coffee shop? I have to leave in a couple of months.’”
Then, smiling, Frankie recalled, “So I just walked right into it.”
Frankie gave her a check, Janet gave him the keys, and the Andersons entered the coffee shop business full steam ahead.
After several years at their original location, they opened a second store on Old U.S. Highway 1 in Southern Pines in 2001 and shortly thereafter closed the original shop. Frankie’s will remain open until April 15 at 4 p.m., when they will turn off the espresso machine for the last time and begin looking toward the future.
The couple rotates days working since they haven’t had an employee in over ten years. “That’s how long we have been retiring,” laughed Frankie. “We just didn’t hire anyone else because we were meaning to retire and haven’t.”
Frankie enjoys getting on the river and kayaking as much as possible on days off.
“I would love to put in on the Lumber River around Five Points, go two weeks, and end in Georgetown, S.C.,” said Frankie.
Rose is an experienced pickleball player. She loves to compete in tournaments and gives lessons in her free time.
“I love pickleball, and this year, the national tournament is in Iowa in July. Since we’re retiring, I figured why not compete?” said Rose.
Frankie and Rose also plan to travel and spend time with their grandkids.
If you arrive in the morning just after opening, you will find some of Frankie’s closest friends and loyal customers—many of whom are veterans—sitting around, talking, and drinking coffee.
“I have been a customer about three years,” recounted George Nelson. “I started when I learned that they were both retired military; now I go because they’re like family, and the coffee is the best.”
The customers have been loyal through the years, even during COVID. The couple had to change hours and make drinks to-go only.
“Customers would still come in, and sometimes even give us extra to help us out,” said Rose.
Sometimes you can walk in to find Frankie in an intense chess match or Rose talking about her most recent pickleball tournament.
“Our customers are not just customers—they have become friends. Once you come in, you’re a friend,” said Frankie.
The Andersons have never had to advertise their business. People have always heard by word of mouth.
Another reason they have been so successful is how they prepare their espresso, and Frankie had to impart some final words of wisdom.
“It’s all in the grind,” explained Frankie. “I didn’t go to school for espresso, but I’ve been doing research for 30 years.”
According to Frankie, “knowing your grinds is key.” Environmental factors such as humidity and temperature can affect the brewing process, so it has to be adjusted accordingly.
He stressed the importance of knowing what your grind is, having the right setting on your grinder for the beans when you pack it in, how much pressure to apply, and “just knowing your espresso machine and equipment.”
The couple agreed that the two most popular drinks over the years have been the Snickers (chocolate, hazelnut, and caramel) and the Cowtail (mocha with a touch of caramel and vanilla). A friend gave them some of the drink recipes, and the Andersons’ daughter also experimented and helped create the specialty menu.
“We want to say thank you to all the friends and family and everyone who just turned out to be family over the years,” said Frankie. “We wouldn’t have been able to go this long without all of them.”
New, regular, or customers who haven’t been in a while will be able to go by until April 15 to get their favorite drink and wish Frankie and Rose a happy retirement. Until their last day, their hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Feature photo: After 30 years as a staple in Southern Pines, Frankie and Rose Anderson will turn off the espresso machine on April 15, signaling their retirement from the coffee business. The coffee in the photo is a favorite of Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. It is called a tanline, a latte with white chocolate and caramel sauce, topped with cool whip and a caramel drizzle.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. Curtis has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2019.
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