Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Zschernitz
Hi Sara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our story in coffee begins over 17 years ago. Before we were even dating, we would talk about how special we thought coffee shops were, and as our relationship grew into more, we would often meet for dates at coffee shops across the Twin Cities. It became a special part of our story and we always talked about what it might look like for us to own our own coffee business.
Zach has since been working in coffee for the last 16 years and I(Sara) have been in business operations and management. When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, Zach lost his job and I was furloughed for a time. During that season, we decided we could either binge watch Netflix, or see what it would take to get our coffee business up and running (Netflix breaks included). We said we would take it as far as we could and if the doors closed, we would leave it at that. The doors haven’t closed on this yet, and we are still going strong over 4 years later!
We started back in 2021 simply focusing on the heart of the business: roasting. After getting those processes in place and building out a website to support online sales, we worked with my dad to create a collapsible coffee cart that would allow us to sell our product in a mobile manner- helping the brand and coffee gain recognition in our community and open doors to growth and partnerships.
2021-2023 were spent being fully online and operating the mobile setup for public and private events. Toward the end of 2023, we opened our coffee shop in the Cahill neighborhood of Edina, MN and it has been so wonderful to be able to have a storefront and stable location for people to visit and experience our coffee & baked goods. We roast our coffee, make all our baked goods in house, and make all our syrups for specialty drinks from scratch. This attention to quality and care has been a big differentiator for us in the somewhat over-saturated local market.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ha! We used to joke about how every event and experience in this journey of owning our business has been a learning opportunity. It involves a lot of trying things and failing, but when we fail, we always try to learn from it so we don’t repeat mistakes but rather grow through those experiences.
A funny example is having to carry our espresso machine and full mobile setup up & down a back stairway of a building after learning they didn’t have an elevator on site. We now require event venues to be accessible on ground level or confirmed functioning elevators for easy access and setup/teardown. 🙂
There is never a dull moment and that is part of what makes running a business so interesting. Every day has its own challenges and opportunities for growth if we are open to learning.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Edina Coffee Roasters?
We run our business by the following Core Values; who we hire, how we operate, how we approach growth and opportunity, etc.
-From Scratch: quality ingredients & product.
-Communication: more is more! How we talk to/about ourselves, our fellow teammates, our customers and our product matters. Candor and Discernment are the backbone of this one.
-Connection: Coffee is an amazing conduit for this and everyone has a coffee story. We want our customers to feel known and connected in the community (wherever they find us- shop, website, social, or events).
-Fika: time to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life (we have a Fika HH at our shop the last hour of the day where every remaining baked good is 50% off-a great opportunity to take time for yourself or meet up for a quick treat). The same goes for breaks and healthy scheduling to allow for time outside of work to enjoy life & prevent burnout.
-Give a Damn: we own what we can control, we step in to help each other as able, we treat each customer with care and respect, and approach each shift with intentionality.
Our coffee lineup is simple and straightforward. We have three main blends highlighting light(Solarium), medium(Ember), and dark(Heirloom) roasts as well as a bright and juicy rotating single origin light roast(Super Bloom). We also have an exceptional decaf(evermore) that I’m proud to say I enjoy daily.
We also offer a subscription service for any of our coffees through our website that allows you to choose the coffee and frequency you’d prefer to ensure you never run out of your favorites!
When you visit our coffee shop, you are sure to find delicious drinks and baked goods to enjoy…all of which are made in house including a rotating daily scone, seasonal drink features, and even gluten free/dairy free options.
Any retail items we have for sale in the coffee shop that aren’t our brand, will be other local businesses. It is our hope that you find something from other local small businesses or are introduced to brands that you may not have otherwise know about.
Our brand is a bit Scandinavian at heart, as I grew up having coffee/celebrating fika with my Swedish grandma and her friends many times each week, often rotating who hosted and what baked goods would be accompanying the time together. This, along with having coffee during each major family celebration and any time a dessert was prepared, gave me a deep appreciation for something so simple that brought people together for quality time shared.
Our Core Focus is to Brew Something Beautiful, which means something more to us than just brewing delicious coffee. We aim to provide each guest with an experience that goes above and beyond…transforming the ordinary into something beautiful, whether it be coffee beans, drinks, baked goods or hospitality.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Find coffee you enjoy and invite others to enjoy it with you!
Our coffee shop is open daily from 7am-2pm, with Fika Hour (our version of happy hour) from 1-2pm featuring 1/2 off remaining baked goods. Stop in and say “hi” if you are in the area 🙂
7031 Cahill Road
Edina, MN 55435
Instagram: @edinacoffeeroasters
Website: www.edinacoffeeroasters.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://edinacoffeeroasters.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edinacoffeeroasters/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edinacoffeeroasters
