By Chris Faulkner
Shannon Lee has only operated her Uppers drive-thru coffee shop for 18 months.
But she had the idea to start her own business two years before that, and her interest in coffee began when she was 10 years old.
“I would stay overnight at a friend’s and drink coffee,” said Lee. But, she qualified, “It was mostly sugar and milk.”
Lee’s small structure is at 871 Jefferson St., and it stands out as it’s on an otherwise vacant lot. Lee also owns the building at 875 Jefferson, home to the florist shop, Downtown Daisy, and a tattoo shop, the Gold Tooth Gallery.
After graduating from Southeastern Community College, Lee went to cosmetology school in Fort Madison but had experience at Mister Moto’s vegetarian cafe and coffee shop, which was part of that stretch, and Napoli’s.
“It was the first time I worked with an espresso machine,” she said of her stint at Mister Moto’s.
Then, in 2008, Lee moved to Tennessee and stayed there for 10 years. She bought her own espresso maker to make coffee at home.
Before returning to Iowa, Lee bought the building and the empty lot.
“I lived in my same apartment in this building as a kid when my dad rented it,” Lee said.
Lee’s brother Eric had bought The Sombrero restaurant in 2017 and renamed it The Som. When she came back in 2018, “I worked there for him and managed the bar,” she said. “I had even more drink-making experience.”
But there was that empty lot.
“My brother Eric and I talked about how busy Jefferson is and how many cars drive that way all day long,” Lee said. “We talked about it hypothetically,” she said of starting a coffee business.
Two years later, in September of 2023, she opened the window on Uppers.
“Caffeine is an upper; it’s a stimulant,” Lee said of the choice for the name. “Sometimes we just need a little pick-me-up.”
Her hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
There’s no shortage of places to buy coffee in Burlington, but Lee said, “I think one thing I have an advantage of is I do use locally roasted coffee. I get my beans from Swed and Co. in Fort Madison.”
Also, “I make the majority of my syrups. There’s a big difference in my syrup than what other places use.”
She also offers monthly specials, so there’s always something new to try.
Lee has lemonade with different flavors for the non-coffee drinkers in her clientele, and she also acquired a home food processing license.
“I was a lot more limited in the coffee shop because of the amount of space,” Lee said. She said the Lee County Health Department, which works with businesses in Des Moines County, was helpful in the process.
“I can make fresh-baked goods and bring them to the store,” Lee said.
As she expands her menu, she expects to be able to add more hours. She’ll have breakfast and lunch items as well as snacks.
Lee is a staff of one right now.
“I do look forward to the time when I can hire someone,” Lee said. “I knew when I got into it, I would be married to the business for a while.”
Lee said she’s doing well in the business and thinks it helped to take her time before taking the plunge.
“Lots and lots of time,” she said. “I do see a lot of regulars, and I’m still seeing lots of new people. I do enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun. I’m making people happy.”