James and Rachel Williams, the husband-and-wife couple who own the Dreamscape Coffee café in Woodstock Village, sat down with the Standard to discuss their recent experience moving from Arizona to Woodstock, opening a coffee shop, and embarking on the next big milestone in their lives as the pair prepares to welcome their first baby in the coming months.
James Williams is originally from Southern California but has lived in Arizona with his wife, Rachel, since their marriage in 2018. “We didn’t have any experience owning or running a coffee shop,” James told the Standard, “But it’s something that Rachel and I are both extremely passionate about and feel like it has been destined to happen for quite some time.” James has worked in customer service most of his life, while Rachel came from a real estate background in Arizona. “It sounds strange, but as a child, my mom, sister, and I used to joke and fantasize about owning a coffee shop one day. We all love coffee, and it’s crazy to think how what used to be a dream suddenly is now my reality,” Rachel said.
The Williamses own and operate Dreamscape with Rachel’s twin sister, Brieanna, and her husband, Austin Perez. Rachel and Brieanna have extended family here, which was the initial pull toward Vermont. “I grew up spending summers and holidays in the Upper Valley,” Rachel told the Standard. “But in the past few years, there has been something calling us back here to raise a family.” Rachel went on to speak about leaving the decision up to God, and how, through praying about their future, the couple decided to sell their home in Arizona and buy the former Soulfully Good Café. “It all came together so seamlessly,” James added. “We developed a pretty great relationship with the previous owners of this shop, and when we decided to make the move, their business became available to buy. There is a little apartment above the shop, and slowly over the last couple months, we have experienced the joys of calling Woodstock home.”
Peace is at the forefront of this young couple’s mind, as they have found a way to reinvent their lives here in the Green Mountain State. “We wanted peace to radiate through each part of our life here in Vermont,” James told the Standard. “We wanted to create a shop that offered patrons an escape from the hustle and bustle of foliage traffic or just the grind of daily life. When you step into Dreamscape, we want it to feel like stepping into a safe place where you can, if you prefer, disconnect from your phone, have a cup of coffee, stay and read a book, or play a game of chess. That same ethos has very much infiltrated our lives. When I moved here, I made it my mission to break my cell phone addiction and learn to live without relying on a phone.”
Rachel is also choosing to forgo the constant pull of technology, as she and James spend their evenings reading books together or listening to her husband play the guitar. “It’s lovely how choosing to forgo an active online existence has allowed for our old selves to shine through. James used to play guitar all the time when we first started dating. It’s one of the things I fell in love with, and now it’s so wonderful to sit in our little apartment and listen to him play again. There is so much beauty and peace in this life here in Vermont. It is crazy to me to think of one more second spent scrolling on social media or staring at my phone instead of at the beautiful trees and welcoming community that surrounds us.”
When they are not working, James and Rachel can be found playing board games in the Norman Williams Public Library, reading fantasy novels in their apartment, or walking around the village. “I’m sure once our baby boy gets here, everyone will see us pushing a stroller down Central Street,” Rachel teased.
As their family and business continue to grow, Rachel and James hope to establish a life here for themselves. “We want our children to know how much we sacrificed to be able to give them a beautiful life here in Vermont. Moving across the country with a dream of opening a coffee shop was a difficult decision, but being able to run this business with my husband — my favorite person in this world — as well as my sister and her husband, has been a true blessing. We just cannot wait to own a home here, raise our children here, and grow Dreamscape into something truly valued by all who stop in,” Rachel concluded.
For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.
