One summer Friday, after a half-day Friday in the Ashland University admissions office, I decided I was headed home for the weekend. As I sat in my car, I felt “that 2:30 feeling” creeping up on me a couple hours early. I decided to stop at Downtown Perk to grab a cup of coffee. That’s when Debbie Brown’s shop, Enjoy!, first caught my attention. Even in a hurry to get my caffeine fix and get on the road, Brown’s friendly greeting ended up with a 20 minute conversation and a gourmet cupcake for the road.

In November of 2006, Brown felt it was time to decide whether she wanted to continue working for someone else, or to open up her own store. 

With that, Enjoy! was born.

“I decided I had things to offer that were currently not being sold in town,” she said. “My goals change constantly and frequently depending on what the needs are of my customers.”

Her shop features gifts for anyone, ranging from cosmetics to locally made pottery. 

“Most of my items are by Ashland artists,” she said. “Some have even graduated from AU.  I’m always trying to bring in unique, one of a kind items.”

The shop also sells items such as jewelry and knit items, but the only way to know for sure is to take a walk through the store. If these don’t strike your fancy, the cupcakes, brought in from The Faithful Little Cupcake, certainly will. Flavors range from s’mores to birthday cake to my personal favorite, the Buckeye Blitz. Every Tuesday and Friday, fresh cupcakes are delivered and they never last long.

Brown has also shown a commitment to breaking down any barriers between the student population and the town of Ashland.

“It’s a great privilege to have the University in our town,” she said. “We would love to do some downtown events that get the college kids involved with the area. We look at it that you are going to be living in Ashland for several years so why not be a part of the community? Let us be your home away from home while you’re here.”

If Brown has it her way, Enjoy! will become a staple of the Ashland community, both on and off campus.

Stop in for a gourmet cupcake and set in our unique coffee shop and grab a latte or smoothie,” she said. “We are [within] close walking distance to the university and a nice quiet get away to relax and enjoy a little time with yourself or with a friend.”