For some people, there’s nothing better than starting the morning with a steaming cup of coffee. The first sip of the day seems to wake up the mind and body; you could even say it warms the soul. Depending on whom you ask, coffee is so much more than just a brewed drink, it’s a culture, art and passion that brings people together from all walks of life. The way that coffee brings people together is part of the reason why Sara and Zach Zschernitz wanted their own coffee roasting business.
For over 15 years, coffee has always been part of the Zschernitz’s lives. Going back to when they were in college, the two have always worked in coffee shops and small businesses. Zach says he and Sara loved how coffee brought people together and encouraged relationship building. “We used to go to coffee shops in college and we saw how it brought us together and encouraged our relationship,” Zach says. It’s always been their dream to start their own coffee business, but it seemed like the timing was never right. When COVID-19 hit, it gave them time to focus on figuring out the best approach to getting their dream off the ground. “We decided to see how far we could take it and when it stopped, we’d stop, but it never did and so we just kept on,” Sara says.
By holding onto their dream, the Zschernitzs gained access to a roaster in January and launched their online business in February, working with businesses and organizations for wholesale coffee needs and also providing a coffee cart for events. Sara says the online business functions well for the post-pandemic era to maintain a good connection over products not having to think about the “brick-and-mortar” right away. Although the pandemic was a setback for everyone, Sara and Zach saw that time as an opportunity to think about how they could help other businesses and give back to the community. “As places are starting to open up and rebuild, the community they may have lost or become disconnected from, the coffee cart is so unique in its ability to help celebrate community connections being rebuilt through events,” Sara says.
The Zschernitz’s roast their coffee in St. Louis Park and source their coffee from importers Trobocca and Café Imports. Their coffee lineup is simple, focusing on three different blends, as well as a couple rotating single origins and a delicious decaf. For their blends, Sara and Zach sampled single-origin coffees to examine each of their flavor components and from there, the two built blends that highlight the individual flavors that pair well together. The two have three blends: light, medium, and dark roasts perfect for coffee aficionados who like to pick out individual flavors and also for people who just want a delicious coffee fix.
“We are all about meeting people wherever they’re at in their journey and using coffee to build community and connection however we can,” Zach says. He and Sara have worked with local businesses in Edina like Base Camp and Douglas Flanders & Associates for community events and the Edina Farmers Market. Their coffee will also be featured at the Edina Fall into the Arts Festival on September 11–12.
