Local coffee shops serve up unique experience to thrive

By Charles Christian

Coffee drinkers have plenty of options in St. Joseph, leaving local shops to set themselves apart by emphasizing quality and community.

Because St. Joseph boasts several large national brand coffee establishments, locally owned shops have to rely on more than just name recognition to attract customers. Heather Mitchell, owner of Hazel’s Coffee, said roasting their own coffee two to three times per week assures customers of a consistently fresh brew.

“We can also customize whole bean coffees to whatever flavors people want,” Mitchell said. “We also rely on the community we build here. Coffee shops are really about building community and friendships and relationships with customers.”

Mokaska Coffee’s production manager Cal Jarboe echoed these sentiments. She said Mokaska has worked hard to be a place where a wide range of people can feel at home with ethically sourced coffee beans and a quality roasting process, as well.

“We pride ourselves on our personal touches,” Jarboe said. “You may not always know where your coffee comes from when you’re dealing with chains, but we actually get to know the farms and farmers who produce our coffee.”

Jarboe said building a space where people can gather also is part of the recipe for success.

“We think of ourselves as a community meeting place,” she said. “We’re really happy that we can be a gathering place for a wide variety of people.”

One Mokaska customer, Maggie Murray, said that while traveling for business, she makes it a priority to check out smaller, locally owned coffee shops to help get to know the community better.

“These local shops give you a glimpse of the community and what the town is like,” Murray said. “You won’t see the unique interior design in larger chain coffee shops that you see in locally owned ones. Also, there seems to be a unique pride that the baristas have in their product and in the establishment itself.”