Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Waddle.
Hi Calvin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My love for coffee started all the way back in high school. When I started drinking coffee I immediately fell in love and began looking for the next school spot to get a great cup at. From there I began college and was going into nursing school and while I was studying, I started working in coffee as a roaster/barista at Dunn Brothers coffee where I spent about a year and a half. From there my passion for coffee bloomed even more and I began applying at various “third wave” coffee shops, which are the shops pouring latte art, sourcing quality coffee beans, and focusing on quality espresso extractions. (At this point in my schooling, I was pretty set on owning my coffee shop but continued to pursue a nursing degree.) After applying at many different spots I went through the interview process at Quixotic Coffee in Highland Park, Saint Paul, which had quickly become a favorite shop in my searching. I was so excited when I got the interview but afterwards I found out my availability did not match up with what they were looking for and I was devastated.
After a few months had passed, I was persistent and continued to email the store manager asking if their needs had changed and after about four emails to her, it FINALLY worked and I was able to get hired on. I spent almost four and half years here and after about my first year, I was sold; I decided to discontinue nursing school and really dive into the coffee industry. After another year or so I was promoted to be the store manager and the rest is history from there. I remember just shortly after being hired on I met the owner of Quixotic (Q) as all the OG people call it, I told the owner that my goal was to own my own store one day and I wanted to learn everything I could. He was a great person and really allowed me to grow as a barista and was ready to answer any questions that I had in the “opening a business process”. Somewhere along this journey I was in Duluth one day and ventured into Duluth Coffee Company (DCC) and met some pretty amazing people and a delicious cup of coffee and shortly after I called them up and was like “hey guys, I want to open a coffee shop and I want to serve your beans’. Their sales manager Sams response was “heck yeah, lets do it.” I think I drove up like a week or so later met everyone on staff and since that day the owner Eric and sales manager Sam, have been nothing but amazing friends, mentors, and teachers. Then the hunt for the perfect location began. Growing up in Forest Lake I have always drove by this house and admired it but it was never for sale.
One day, I had a friend in town visiting and her and I were driving by and she looked over and said, “Calvin, that place would make an AMAZING coffee shop”. Of course, we immediately detoured our drive to pull in and began peeking in the windows and snooping around. I went home and told my parents that I found the spot. After some time had passed we did several tours of the building planning things out, where the bar would go, how many seats could fit in here etc. etc. and were eventually able to purchase the property. The dream was finally becoming a reality! Fast forward a few years to 2020, still working at Q I received a call from one of my great friends, Brad, who owns Anchor Coffee House in White Bear Lake. He over the course of owning his own shop had purchased a coffee trailer to take to fairs and other events but with COVID-19 happening all of his events were cancelled. I picked up the phone and we chatted for a little bit and he asks, “do you wanna kick this coffee shop in gear, borrow my trailer and open Coffeesmith on your lawn in the trailer?” Immediately I said “heck yes” and a week later we got a coffee trailer up and running and opened to the public on a Saturday morning. We saw tremendous success and an amazing response from the community over the coffee trailer and that propelled my passion and desire to own a coffee shop even more. After jumping through various hurdles being in a mixed use property, never use commercially before we were able to open the doors on the cafe space on November 15th of 2021.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth ride. We faced several hurdles related to increased cost of materials, delays related to COVID-19 and hurdles in the process of converting an old residence into a commercial space. The saying, “it takes twice as long and twice as much money” is definitely a true statement.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Coffeesmith is a place of community for the community. Our mission is that we want this place to be somewhere that anyone can feel they are loved, have people that care about them, and we want them to use this place as somewhere they can connect with us, their friends, their family, or a complete strangers. Our name, “Coffeesmith” is sort of a spin off the name “Blacksmith”. The name Coffeesmith represents the grit and craftsmanship of the blacksmith industry. The same work ethic, attention to detail, and commitment to quality can be found in every Coffeesmith product. We make all of our syrups and sauces (minus the sugar free) in house, use farm fresh milk from Autumnwood Farms here in Forest Lake, and we serve the best of the best coffee beans from Duluth Coffee Company.
As an owner, one of the things I am most proud of is when customers tell me on a regular basis how amazing and friendly my staff is. I want to cultivate an environment that anyone feels accepted in and my staff is the frontline defense holding this mission statement up.
We specialize in coffee but there is something for everyone. Also on our menu you will see Chai Tea, matcha tea, hot tea, lemonade, hot chocolate and many more. I would definitely recommend trying the Bourbon Caramel Latte, it has been a crowd favorite since day one at the coffee trailer and if you’re not a coffee drinker I definitely recommend the Lavender Lemonade.
How do you define success?
Success for me is not defined by a bank account, not defined by possessions, nor is it defined by any societal norms. When someone is truly successful, I think they are living their best lives, following their passions and are happier than they’ve ever been. There is so much pressure on people to fill roles, get degrees, and chase wealth in order to be successful. But I am someone who went through three schools and four degrees too try and do that and in the end, I found out what I was passionate about and wanted to do for the rest of my life and I sit here writing this so content and happy with where I ended up.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: coffeesmithmn.com
- Instagram: @coffeesmithmn
- Facebook: Facebook.com/coffeesmithofmn
Image Credits
Liz Brumley
Elle Boleen
Calvin Waddle
