Our Story

Our story began in 2015 when Ron and June decided to open up their coffee shop. Using their combined skills, they began to work to make their dream a reality. As they traveled, they made sure to visit every coffee shop they could, gathering tips & ideas. Soon after, the search for the perfect location was next. Ron and June found a beautiful Victorian house located in the Historic District of Williamsport.

The Victorian Queen Anne home was designed in 1890 by Amos Wagner and built for Henry Johnson, a state legislator. In 2008, the Tabor Museum acquired it & fully restored the 1st floor, and opened a Women of the 1800’s Museum. Later, the Tabor Museum made the decision to close and sell the property. In 2016, Ron and June purchased the property from the owners who had been running it as a B&B.

For the last step, the two needed a name for the café. June remembered when they were first married, and lived in a mother in law cottage behind their daughters home, Ron would always make cappuccinos when he got home from work. Knowing this, June’s daughter would call back and place her order. One day, Ron seeing her daughter’s number on the caller ID, answered the phone, “Backhouse Café, how may I help you?” Later, when they were looking for a name for their coffee shop, people would say, “You already have a name. Why change it?” Thus, on August 13th, 2018, the cafe’ opened as, “Backhouse Café Coffee & Tea.