Excelsior Roasting Company is in the People Business

by Shannon Bond

There are no strangers at Excelsior Roasting Company. Jennifer Reynolds, the owner, seems to know everyone. Even if she doesn’t, it would be hard to tell from how she interacts with patrons. As soon as one walks into the café, the local theme washes over you. Local art hangs along every wall, and local products rest across the shelves. But it’s not your typical purchasing experience; before buying from these local creators, customers can learn about each one as they wander the shop.

And there is a lot of space to wander. It may not look like it from the outside, but Excelsior Roasting takes up two full storefronts. One side is filled with the café and coffee machines, a display full of pastries, and a giant chalkboard menu. A world map explaining their coffee bean’s origin spans a green accent wall, and on the other side, locally made jewelry and art sit on the shelf and hang from the wall. In the next room, a roasting machine is corralled in by rustic pipe shelves. Jen and company have filled the rest of the space with tables, chairs, and a couch. It’s a perfect place to hang out or host an event. During the day, when customers are not cruising the drive-through or waiting in line, Jen often strolls in to sit with locals, chatting about life and the day’s events.

“Cozy,” Jen says. “I want people to feel comfortable here and hope our customers feel like family when they stop by.”

Jen’s love for coffee started when she was young. One of four children raised by a single father, she didn’t have many opportunities to connect with him. But one day, they sat down for coffee. It was a special time for just the two of them. “That’s what started my love of coffee. I see other people bring their kids in for a special date, and it reminds me of that time.”

Before owning the Excelsior Roasting Company, Reynolds was the general manager of a Books-A-Million in Kentucky, her home state. During her time there, she managed the coffee shop for a year and a half. The vibe is what she fell in love with. After Books-A-Million, she moved to Northwest Missouri, worked at the Elms for almost five years, and helped out in the coffee shop there, explaining that it was a special place to work. Finally, after moving on from those positions, she was looking for something to keep her busy just a few days a week. Naturally, she was lured back into her happy place, a coffee shop. She started at The Mug in 2021 and, by mid-year, was signing paperwork to purchase it from the previous owners, who had moved to South Carolina. “If I had my own coffee shop” was a well-worn phrase used by Jen throughout the years. An easy expression of a dream that seemed far away until, with the stroke of that pen, Excelsior Roasting was born, legally anyway.

“After freaking out a lot, many restless nights, freaking out some more, and a lot of paperwork, we’re getting a chance to make that dream a reality,” Josh, her husband, explains on Excelsior Roasting’s website.

After working in the coffee industry for so many years, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, and they would have to carve a niche in the local marketplace. So beyond offering locally created art and merchandise, they roast their own coffee.

“It’s such a cool process, and we love that we can provide freshly roasted coffee to our customers.” And bake their own pastries, coming in each morning at 5:30 a.m. “Mornings are busy, but the afternoons are slower. That’s when we come up with our best ideas for new pastries or coffee flavors.” Next on the flavor horizon might be retail bourbon-flavored coffee, which makes sense since she is originally from Kentucky. “We are still in the early stages of learning the process and playing with the flavors to get the right ratios, but that should be coming out before the end of the year.”

But before they get serious about the roasting, they have a store remodel to tackle. Jen explains that it’s an effort to increase the cozy factor. They offer seasonal lattes each month to go along with the ambiance and the holiday decorations. Her favorite? The Salted Maple Caramel Latte. Yes, it’s capitalized as a proper name because it’s that amazing. In her opinion, she stresses, they have the best coffee in town, and that’s what keeps people coming back. The atmosphere is icing on the pastry, so to speak, and so is that feeling of belonging because, after a few times, Jen and her crew will know your name. Along with fantastic coffee and baked goods, they offer food, like unique breakfast wraps, biscuits, and sandwiches for lunch. But the most important thing for her is the customer’s shared experience and the community.

When they started, she was blown away by the friendly locals and their support for small businesses. She explains that people in Excelsior Springs care about their community, and she’s trying to give back. Next month, the shop will be taking donations for Eden Village, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating homelessness. And in the almost year they’ve been in business, they have sponsored the Christmas show for the Slightly Off Broadway Theatre, donated to auctions, and even hosted local events for free. But don’t tell anyone about the hosting. With rampaging inflation, they’ll have to charge a reasonable fee for after-hours events if they keep it up. Inflation, however, isn’t the only challenge to the coffee business.

“Climate change is really messing with the growing seasons all over the world, so coffee is getting harder to come by, and the prices are going up,” she says. And the economy is hitting everyone, so she understands that some people don’t have the extra cash to pay for a cup of coffee. “That’s why we appreciate the customers we have. They are loyal and amazing.”

But how does she keep bringing customers through the door? Without customers, she can’t support her employees, and that’s what keeps her up at night. It comes down to more advertising and getting their name out there, which is no small feat in any industry. It’s worth the effort and worry, though, because her employees are family, she says. “It’s important to have a good team behind you, and I do. Rachel is my second, and I would be lost without her. Melissa, Jayme, and Maddy are all in it with us to the end. They make coming to work a joy, and I just can’t say enough about how great they are.”

And that’s what Jen returns to each time, people and relationships. Whether it’s her employees, first-time customers, or regulars, it’s clear that the coffee business is the people business for Jen.

“When I see someone light up after trying our coffee, it makes my day. It’s corny, but it’s true.”