It’s not often that the staff member you didn’t realize you were looking for comes to you for a job. After Kellie sent an e-mail to Katie about her interest in working with us, they proceeded to have an hours-long phone conversation, complete with swapping pictures of presses and comparing notes on coffee. Kellie’s prior experience, interest in motivating people to clean, and love for dogs make her a perfect fit with the Press Coffee family, and we are excited to have her join us this year.

Originally growing up in a suburb of Chicago, (Go Cubs!) she attended Purdue in Indiana and stuck around there for a year afterward to work full-time at a coffee shop called Greyhouse. There she fell in love with good coffee, French press, and the hustle of keeping a shop running smoothly. Located near campus with enough seating for about 150 people, her former shop had a lot more going on than the low-key atmosphere of Press Coffee.

After her boyfriend interned at Collins Aerospace, Kellie and Dan decided to move to Cedar Rapids so he could work there full-time. Kellie looked up coffee shops in the area and was drawn to our intimate atmosphere, love for local coffee and, reliance on the French press method. After a long-distance interview, Katie and I were already pretty sure we would be hiring her. We met Kellie in person last November when she and Dan came apartment hunting, and after introducing her to Oasis falafel, we were certain that she would be the right fit.

At Greyhouse, Kellie crafted their house-made syrups, mixed up donuts and crepe batter, and also kept upwards to 80 employees on task. Transitioning to Coralville means working with about a tenth of the staff and probably less than a quarter of the space. While managing kitchen production was one of her favorite duties, she says she is excited to not have to make crepes or donuts ever again. While we are located in the vicinity of a large University, we tend to employ grad students and others who are piecing together part-time jobs to make it all work, an opportunity we love to offer. Gaining someone like Kellie, however, means there can be more consistency throughout the week, relieving some of the managerial duties to a third person. Plus her degree in Psychology and Business seems apt for the coffee industry.

She’s only a few weeks into her employment and so far Kellie has jumped into the mix effortlessly. Her first impression of the full Press Coffee staff was at our yearly Holiday party, graciously hosted by Nicki Maurus this year. Since Kellie came back after that, we think she must really like us. Her eagerness to take on projects, learn more about coffee, and the ability to bring an outsider’s eye to our operation is breathing enthusiasm into the rest of us. With her comes things such as new drink ideas, like her favorite coffee drink made at Greyhouse: a Cold Brew Latte. They mixed their cold brew concentrate with milk and their summertime strawberry rhubarb syrup.

Kellie is looking forward to settling into her new environment, making some friends, and taking care of her new pup, Indy. In the few short weeks that they’ve been here, Kellie and Dan have hounded the local shelters to find a pet to join them in their Cedar Rapids apartment. Last week they took home a medium-sized terrier who is a great cuddler between bursts of energy and makes a great companion for Kellie when she watches her guilty pleasure, The Bachelor.

You won’t find Kellie at the shop on the weekends, but she’ll be holding it down Monday through Friday. Stop in to say hi and help her get settled into the area. If you find yourself in West Lafayette, Indiana, look up Greyhouse and check out their beautiful space off of State street.