Our Roots

My love and passion for coffee all started the summer of 2019. I had recently turned sixteen and I was practically jumping out of my socks to start working. I started volunteering at a local coffee shop, The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop, and I quickly fell in love with the nature of working behind a counter. The people, the environment, the coffee (I hadn’t even liked coffee at the time) was just so awesome.

Coming into fall of 2019, I continued my passion and started working at another local coffee shop, IDEA Coffee. After about a year of working there, I was promoted to manager of both locations and quickly started learning the business from a new perspective. I loved it! Making new drink recipes, bringing new methods to the business and pouring out new ideas was keeping me going, I didn’t even need the caffeine from coffee. We ended up changing the coffee we served at IDEA to Lonely Monk Coffee out of Lemoyne. I got to meet and work with the owners of Lonely Monk as we brought new methods and equipment to serve their coffee. They are the sweetest people and, by far, roast the best coffee I’ve had since I started working in the industry.

By this point I had built up my own coffee bar at home. Espresso machine, espresso grinder, steaming wands, you name it—I had it! Anytime company was over I was always asking if anyone wanted some specialty drink! The satisfaction I would get after giving someone a stellar cup of coffee was unreal. Messing around with flavor profiles and testing new drink recipes brought me so much joy. I would even have friends ask me, “what do I like again?” when they were up to order at a coffee shop.

Around this time I also grew a passion for the environment and humanity’s influence on it. I started looking into topics like sustainability, eating alternatively, and hybrid cars (even though I didn’t really have the money for one). I knew I wanted to open my own business but I also knew I wanted to have an impact. Opening a business that was conscious about it’s sustainability and impact on the environment allowed me to fulfill both of those passions.

The phrase “down to earth” always had a special place in my heart growing up! I know, it’s fitting right? It has such a pure meaning to it. The Legacy Park community project started only a couple miles away from my house and I knew I had to jump on it. After over a year of planning, building, and a “little” anxiety, I am beyond happy to say Down To Earth Cafe was born!