Something new is brewing at Johnson Memorial Health
As visitors step into the hospital’s main entrance, the roasty aroma of fresh-brewed coffee is inescapable. A display case of decadent pastries and sweets only adds to the allure.
Tying it all together is a familiar name.
Main & Madison Micro — a smaller version of the popular Franklin eatery and coffee shop — opens Monday at Johnson Memorial Health. Tucked into a dedicated space near the hospital’s front desk, the cafe will serve a limited menu of hand-made coffees, lattes and other drinks, as well as feature some of Main & Madison’s famed sweets.
The new shop pairs a locally owned business with the community-based hospital system in a way that’s unique to Johnson Memorial Health.
“It was the ultimate ask for us. As the discussions progressed, it became more and more exciting for us. It’s a different model than what we have, so to be able to create a new model within our footprint is very exciting,” said Amy Richardson, owner of Main & Madison.
Though smaller in size, the new Main & Madison Micro will have familiar touches to anyone who has visited their Franklin shop in the past.
Quirky lighting hangs above the main counter. Subway tile is wrapped around the burnt-orange space. The coffee, drinks and pastries are exactly the same.
Though not in place yet, an enlarged historic photograph of Main & Madison’s 117-year-old building will take up much of the shop’s back wall. Considering the building served as Franklin’s first hospital, it’s a fitting wink to their new location.
“It’s a great connection — from the first hospital to the current hospital,” Richardson said.
The partnership between Johnson Memorial Health and Main & Madison was born about a year ago. Hospital leadership was interested in adding a coffee shop to the hospital, and instead of trying to lure a bigger brand, wanted to focus on a locally owned company to work with.
“When I started four years ago, we talked about community partnerships. This is something we had wanted to do internally for a long time,” said Dr. David Dunkle, president and CEO of Johnson Memorial Health. “Partnering with Main & Madison just made sense. Obviously, Amy and her family have done so much for the community, it made perfect sense.”
For Richardson, it was a perfect opportunity to expand the central coffee shop with a trusted partner.
“After five years in our current location, it was almost as if the timing was perfect to do something like this,” she said.
With both sides on board, the work began to turn the concept into a reality. Richardson and her team worked to take Main & Madison’s ambitious menu and scale it down to fit the hospital space.
They determined to focus on pastries, coffees, teas and specialty drinks.
Though the menu is limited currently, the option remains to change it as needed, Richardson said.
“That doesn’t mean going forward, we won’t ramp up and have a lot more options,” she said. “We wanted to figure out the right mix for right now.”
Johnson Memorial Health leadership also worked with Richardson on finding an ideal space for the coffee shop. Going over numerous options, they landed on a vacant area just inside the hospital’s main entrance — convenient for patients and visitors arriving at the hospital, employees going about their day or community members stopping in for a quick cup of coffee.
“It’s great for employees. The buzz has been amazing throughout the hospital,” Dunkle said. “In this day and age, we all know the pressures on recruitment and retention of employees. We look at this as a great incentive for our employees.”
Construction on the shop started in January. Contractors implemented Main & Madison’s existing aesthetic, including the subway tile, refined countertop and industrial-style lighting, into the space.
“One of our big goals was to be sure we had our brand into the hospital. They were amazing to work with in getting that to happen,” Richardson said.
The shop will be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Two Main & Madison employees, Devin Byers and Kyle Haflich, will be staffing the shop, taking their expertise from the existing location into this new venture.
Tables will be set up around the shop, so people can either sit down and relax with their coffee, or take it to go.
Seeing the project come to completion has been a reason for celebration, Richardson said.
“To be able to do this for the employees here, and for people who come to the hospital, is very exciting for us,” she said.
AT A GLANCE
Main & Madison Micro
What: A scaled-down version of Main & Madison’s central Franklin location, offering coffee, coffee drinks, tea and pastries.
Where: Johnson Memorial Health, 1125 W. Jefferson St., Franklin; the shop is located inside the hospital’s main entrance, to the left of the front desk
When: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday
