Death of One Career Means Fenton Bean Company Gets Another Shot at Life

Scott Adams found the silver lining in the dark cloud hanging over his newspaper career in St. Louis about 600 miles away in Fenton.

Adams, 54, was laid off from his job with an affiliate of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he had worked in sales and marketing for 15 years, and was looking at unemployment for the first time since he was 19.

At the same time, his mother, Joan Cockerton, was slowing down. She’s 80, and the day-to-day rigor of operating the tea room and antique mall in the Fenton Bean Company building, one of the most recognizable structures in Fenton and certainly its tallest, was taking its toll.

So Adams came home to mid-Michigan – he grew up in the Grand Blanc area, but spent summers water skiing and hanging around Lake Fenton – and will act as CEO alongside his mom to return the national and state historic registry listed building to prominence.

Whether God was in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offices that day when plans were announced to shutter the suburban newspaper where he worked, Adams can’t say. But Cockerton is convinced.

“She thinks it’s God’s will that I am here,” Adams said.

He has immersed himself into getting the beanery ready for its resurrection as an affordably priced, western-themed steakhouse, the first of several phases planned for the building at 234 N Leroy St. He hopes to open by February or March.

“Right now, I’m running on eight cylinders and I’m about seven short,” Adams joked.

He’s putting about $8,000 into the renovation, but the building is up to code and is properly equipped, he said.

Other phases include nine retail shops, a 1950s-style diner, rejuvenation of the successful tea room his mother operates and establishment of an in-house catering service. He eventually wants to replace the facade, but that’s a bigger-ticket item that will have to wait.

“It’s all going to come in waves,” he said. “I can’t do it all at once.”

Response around Fenton has been “99.9 percent positive,” said Adams, noting that email messages were coming in faster than he could answer them when word began circulating that he planned to reopen the old community landmark.

“Mr. Adams! I'm glad to see this building will finally be put to good use. Good luck. I am looking forward to spending some money your way when you all are finished!” one supporter wrote.

“To see a resurrection of the Beanery back to an operational landmark is glorious!” wrote another. “I only recently donated one of the original Beanery cash registers to the Fenton Historical Society.”

Adams has high expectations for the beanery. Two of the retail shops have already been leased and Adams is confident that a third deal will be inked soon. Rents will be affordable, Adams said, and he’s not worried about the shops filling up fast.

As the old beanery, where farm trucks lined outside and massive wooden gears turned inside, once again holds promise of becoming an important community asset and gathering place.

“When we get it up and running, we’ll employ close to 100 people,” Adams said. “It’s going to bring jobs to the city of Fenton.”

Want More?

Read Scott Adams’ blog post on plans to reopen the Fenton Bean Company.