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''Beerless Cheers'' celebrates 10 years: CUPS owners transform coffee roasting, walls, even tables into art.

Article Excerpt
JACKSON -- When Dennis and Janice Cameron moved to Jackson in the early 1990s, they longed to find an independent coffeehouse with character, one that wasn't a cookie cutter design, and one that showcased local artists and musicians.

Soon after they settled in, they stumbled into CUPS, a Fondren coffeehouse established by Paula Parks and Melissa Joseph.

"We were happy they opened it, but disappointed we didn't do it," said Janice Cameron. "They had it for maybe a year or less and we got word they wanted to sell. We jumped on it and recently celebrated our 10th anniversary at Fondren."

Cameron, who had a fine arts background but no entrepreneurial experience, almost got cold feet.

"It was a leap of faith and a desire to try something that I knew we loved because we'd been in so many unique coffeehouses and enjoyed each one," she said. "We knew we could put our own personal touch on it."

Cameron opened CUPS Downtown six months later, followed by a...