On Saturday, Oct. 24, 16700 FM 2493 in Gresham will have live music, a vendors market and a food truck, and then the doors will close for good. That is Big Shot Coffee House's last day. Owner Lydia Baskin opened it in January 2021, and the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported that it will not be sold or relocated.
If you live in Flint, Gresham or along the south end of Old Jacksonville Highway, the shop's closing changes your week more than your map. This year a handful of small, locally owned businesses opened along the same road, and each serves a fairly specific purpose: coffee, needlepoint, mahjong or vintage décor. They keep short hours, and the days when every one of them is open come down to Thursday, Friday and part of Saturday. Planning around those days is how the corridor works now.
Saturday at 16700 FM 2493
If Big Shot was part of your routine, you still have a little time. Baskin asked customers to support locally owned businesses and to use their rewards and redeem gift cards before the closure, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph. The shop is also selling off its coffee equipment.
The Big Shot name doesn't go away with the storefront. The same report says Baskin will keep her coffee catering business going as Big Shot: Espresso Catering. She also plans to keep organizing the Tyler Coffee Crawl and latte art competitions and to offer coffee training and consulting. She also started the East Texas School of Coffee. Her influence on Tyler's coffee scene will outlast this address.
In the announcement the paper quoted, Baskin hoped the shop would be remembered "as one that fostered community, relationships, job opportunities, the up you needed on a bad day." Here in East Texas, a coffee shop is often where neighbors run into each other before the workday starts. Once Big Shot closes, that kind of room on this road is spread across several smaller places.
The morning coffee stop at Suite 400
The closest match for an early cup is Likewise Coffee's second location, at 7596 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Suite 400. Likewise says on its location page that the shop opened in spring 2026 and has plenty of indoor seating plus a drive-thru.
It is the earliest-opening and longest-running stop in this post, open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. If you saw a later closing time when it first opened, go by the hours on Likewise's own page. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported that the menu covers coffee, tea, matcha and fresh lemonade, and that this is the company's expansion out from its original shop in Tyler's Mosaic District. You can order ahead on the Likewise Coffee app, which makes the drive-thru easy on a school-run morning.
Keep in mind that Suite 400 sits at the north, south-Tyler end of the corridor. For someone coming up from Gresham, it's a longer trip than a stop on FM 2493 was. Whether that matters depends on which direction you drive each morning.
A table to sit at: 16623 Old Jacksonville Highway
For sitting down and staying a while, this stretch of road now has a shared storefront at 16623 Old Jacksonville Highway, Suite C.
The House of Stitches and The Gathering Tile opened their joint business there on June 19, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph. The House of Stitches sells needlepoint canvases, supplies and sewing accessories. The space is set up so stitchers can gather, learn and swap ideas while they shop.
The Gathering Tile is the mahjong side of the storefront. Its website lists seat reservations, events, and tile and card rentals. It describes itself as a welcoming spot for seasoned players and beginners alike. Because you reserve a seat, it runs more like a standing date than a drop-in. If your Tuesday group needs a regular spot, that's useful. If you're hoping to wander in on a whim, check the schedule first.
The hours differ between the two businesses. The House of Stitches was open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday when it opened in June. The Gathering Tile's own site now lists Monday 10 to 5, Tuesday 10 to 6, Wednesday through Friday 10 to 5, Saturday 10 to 4, and closed Sunday. Those hours are shorter on several weekdays than the ones published at the June opening.
The shop that keeps a three-day week
Out on FM 2493 toward Flint, The Curious Cat is at 17644 FM 2493. On its website the shop calls itself "a cozy little haven for the nostalgic at heart," with timeless décor and carefully chosen vintage pieces. The Tyler Morning Telegraph covered its opening in May and described the stock as vintage finds, home décor and nostalgic gifts.
The shop is open only three days a week. That's 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and it's closed Sunday through Wednesday. Its short week is a big part of why the whole corridor ends up running on a Thursday-to-Saturday rhythm.
Debra spent years in decorative finishes and décor, so a shop like this gets her attention. Vintage pieces with good bones are often what make a room feel finished, and this kind of shopping takes repeat visits, since the stock changes as things sell.
When the corridor lines up
Put the published hours side by side and the pattern is easy to see:
| Stop | Address | Mon–Wed | Thu–Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likewise Coffee | 7596 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Ste. 400 | 6 a.m.–6 p.m. | 6 a.m.–6 p.m. | 6 a.m.–6 p.m. | Closed |
| The Gathering Tile | 16623 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Ste. C | 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tue to 6 p.m. | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Closed |
| The House of Stitches, hours at June opening | 16623 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Ste. C | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | None listed |
| The Curious Cat | 17644 FM 2493, Flint | Closed | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Closed |
Here's what the grid shows:
- Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every stop in the table is open.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Every stop is open again, in a shorter window.
- Monday through Wednesday. Coffee and the shared storefront are open, but The Curious Cat is closed.
- Sunday. None of these stops lists Sunday hours.
This Saturday, Oct. 24, adds one more stop. Between 10 and 3 you can make one loop through Likewise, The Gathering Tile and The Curious Cat. Big Shot hasn't published hours for its farewell day, so check its Facebook page before you plan that stop. These are small, owner-run shops, so check each one's website or social page before you head out.
There's also a newer business at the north end of the stretch for an errand that doesn't come up every week. Ramsey Fritz Jewels moved to a new flagship store at 7276 Old Jacksonville Highway to mark its 25th anniversary and celebrated with a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Sept. 10. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported that the new location has a larger showroom, a dedicated custom-design center and in-house repair that includes laser welding. If you've had a broken chain or a ring to resize sitting in a drawer, it's now a short trip off the same road.
The road itself stays put for now
Anyone who drives FM 2493 often has heard about the widening. TxDOT's plans for the stretch from Loop 323 to FM 2813 haven't changed. TxDOT's project page lists six lanes with raised medians, a Grande Boulevard overpass, a Rice Road realignment, a signal at Capital Drive and more turn lanes.
For anyone who walks or bikes, the same page includes a 12-foot shared-use path on the west side that connects to the Legacy Trail and a 6-foot sidewalk on the east side.
That work is still years away. TxDOT's posted schedule shows utility relocations starting as early as fall 2028 and construction as early as fall 2030, and notes that the dates may change. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported in January that the start had already slipped from 2028 to 2030 to allow time for right-of-way acquisition and utility moves. The paper put the project's cost at about $225 million and cited TxDOT's count of roughly 32,000 vehicles a day on the highway in 2019. Tyler Area MPO Director Michael Howell told the paper that "2030 is the best estimate for what it is right now."
For the next few years, then, the four-lane road you drive today is the one that connects these shops. Your Thursday stop for vintage décor, your Tuesday mahjong game and your weekday drive-thru coffee all sit on the same stretch of FM 2493 they sit on now.
Debra and I keep up with what opens and closes along Old Jacksonville Highway because our neighbors' errands run on it too. If you own a home or land along FM 2493 and want to talk through what the planned widening might mean for your property down the road, we'd be glad to sit down for an honest conversation, coffee included. David McAtee and Debra are a call away. Contact Us.
