BY LIVI WELCH
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN —
There are plenty of unique places in Auburn, but few boast a message as powerful as that of The Table Foundation.
The Table serves as a space for the community to come and relax together. From simple lunch meetings to study sessions to work breaks, The Table is there to host any who walk through the door.
The Table, located at 160 N. College St., sits just above the soon-to-be-open Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint.
There are three rooms to choose from. One is a larger front room full of couches, chairs and tables. People can also sit by the windows overlooking downtown Auburn and watch people walk by.
In the back, there are two rooms that can be reserved.
“As long as you’re not making a profit, you are welcome,” said Founder Sherry Aaron.
She began the project with her husband, Wren, and her two daughters, Kailey Birkeland and Lauren Farris, in the summer of 2022.
After reading Alabama native Andy Andrews’ book, “Just Jones,” Aaron was inspired by the “5 & 10” character Jones opened up in The Wharf in Orange Beach. In the novel, people of all backgrounds had conversations that “lead to understanding and peace.” Aaron said she wanted to bring that spirit to Auburn, hopeful that it could provide the same effect.
“When people gather here for different things, the act of coming to the table can help us find some commonality,” she said. “In this crazy world we live in, there’s so much more that we can agree on. Let’s talk about what you are for, not against.”
Aaron also credits a lifelong friend, Betty, who passed away in 2020. She met Betty at age 2 while watching her mother sing in the church choir. Betty’s husband died in 1987, and Aaron grew close with her up until her passing.
“I became her person, as she liked to call me,” she said.
Betty loved to offer recommendations and teach people how to do anything and everything, Aaron said.
“That’s what she did to show her love to people,” she said. “She helped you do it right.”
Some of the furniture from Betty’s house is scattered around the rooms. Aaron pointed out a table that she recalls sitting at with Betty when she was little, as well as two cow-printed chairs that came from the home of Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl.
Most of the furniture came from flea markets or garage sales.
“If we saw it on the side of the road, it was going in the back of the truck,” Aaron said.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing, though, she noted. When Cheeburger Cheeburger closed and Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint started renovations, worry would be expected. But Aaron said her doubts were cleared up quickly.
“The people at Jack Brown’s have been extremely nice trying to navigate our space,” she said. “We’ve had no trouble at all.”
Though The Table has only been open since last fall, Aaron said she has already made incredible memories. She remembered a time when a club for international students came and enjoyed free coffee and water.
“To hear so many languages spoken in the front room was one of the most special moments,” she said. “They were all sitting together talking about everyday, ordinary things. And that was extraordinary.”
With such a unique place, many would have big dreams for the foundation. Aaron has other plans.
“It’s just going to unfold as the Lord will have it,” she said. “I try not to overthink. This was a gift. My biggest desire is to steward it well and be found faithful.”
The Table is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find the business on its Facebook, @The.Table.Auburn.