Arkansas was livable, but 18 months in suburban Chicago was more than enough to convince MaryKay Stover to return to West Virginia.

"I told my husband that I wanted to go home," Stover recalled. "He said, 'Okay, I'm coming with you.'"

A native of Monongalia County, the mother of three secured a job on the staff at Tygart Lake State Park. One year later, the family opened their own business endeavor, The Grafton 123 House of Coffee.

"We asked ourselves what we could do to help Grafton and Taylor County," said Stover in reference to the community's more prosperous period as a busy railroad hub.

Tourism dropped off, though, when the railroad ceased passenger service to the region. The interstate, situated 20 miles west in Harrison County, failed to fill the void. The economy suffered further with the closing of the railroad corporate offices in 1984.

"There's a lot to see and do here. There's the railroad history, Civil War history, the place where Mother's Day began, the National Cemetery, the lake and the state park. We want to help the area use tourism to build an economic base," she said.

Stover is not one for diving into things. More than six months of research went into the planning of the business.

"We looked into why small businesses, especially small restaurants, fail," she said. "We wanted to know what we could do to make this a success."

Surpassing customer expectations was the answer.

"It takes a lot of dedication and hard work," Stover said. "It means treating the customers well, listening to what they want, and then giving that to them.

"There was very little expectation when people heard that we were going to open a coffee shop in Grafton, and we kept those expectations at floor level," she said. "We opened with expectations low and then delivered high. We have the best of everything. You'll not get a better cup of coffee anywhere. And it's the same for our baked goods, our food and our music -- the best."

The Stovers selected one of the oldest structures in downtown Grafton for their project. Originally constructed as a shoe store, the 119-year-old building was only 18 feet wide and featured walls that were three bricks thick.

Taking advantage of husband Paul's construction skills, the street-level floor was gutted, rebuilt and expanded. The current seating capacity is 40, but that will increase to 125 soon when the second-floor balcony is completed.

The coffee shop, which is named for its location at 123 W. Main Street in Grafton, is more than a restaurant. It has evolved into somewhat of an art gallery and entertainment venue.

"We feature the work of local artists," Stover said. "We also added a stage and have live family-friendly entertainment on the weekends."

In addition to the family help, Grafton 123 has two full-time and three part-time workers. The menu includes salads, sandwiches and soups. The dessert line features everything from cheese cake, bagels and granola bars to sugar-free selections.

"The coffee house is doing well," she said. "We've been pleased with the support from the local community and the visitors, too."