There’s something about a cup of coffee. A simple cup of coffee. It has the ability to create a new friendship, rekindle an old flame, or begin an acquaintance between two colleagues. There are always conversations buzzing throughout the building and the porch. A blue or yellow mug sits on the table, the only thing between you.

There’s something about a house. A smallish, yellow house with a porch swing and cute “please bus your table” signs on every rocky table, inside and out. It’s most people’s favorite place in our tiny town. A visit to Sewanee is never complete without a purchase from Stirlings, and a week of classes is never just right without a coffee.

There’s something about the art of conversation. The nature of Stirlings does not allow for awkward silences or conversations left at loose ends. It is a homely place for homely people, whether just meeting for the first time, or rekindling a relationship lost months or years ago. There is no room in this small house for silence. However, sometimes the conversation does not happen between person and person. Sunday afternoons, and weekday evenings are filled with laptops and headphones, people engrossed in their school work and deep in conversation with an English assignment or science lab report.

Sitrlings, we love you. Every Sewaneetian, every vacationer, every person who comes in and leaves with a satisfied stomach and a finished conversation thanks you for your service. Your workers fill the place with a welcoming smile everytime the door opens. Thank you for filling every early morning with a smile and a new energy. Thank you for naming drinks after the beloved Sewanee professors and locals. Thank you for letting us leave excited for the next time we come. We love you.

There’s something about Stirlings. Every Dimmick Day, every Breakfast Club, every Sewanee Mist. It means something to someone, and will be remembered by them even after they leave Sewanee. Whether it’s that taste of Irish Cream mixed with coffee and half-and-half, or the overwhelming amount of cream cheese on your Breakfast Club, each dish at Stirlings is memorable, and so is every conversation paired with that morning coffee or late lunch. Sewanee is unique in every aspect of what it is, and who the people here are. Yet, it is truly believed by almost all Sewanee Locals that Sewanee would not be Sewanee without our little yellow house called Stirlings.