Hi everyone! Thanks for reading! I wanted to tell you all a little bit about myself and how Seth’s Coffee & Bake Shop came to be.
First of all, I’d just like to say how lucky of a guy I am to have such an incredible staff. They’ve been so great, and helped the whole process of opening this business a joy. Emily, Ben, Justin, Christopher, Keli, Jerod, Leah, Chase–You rock! Without them, Seth’s Coffee would cease to succeed. Also, my wife, Kate, is the potter who made all of the mugs that you’ll be drinking your hot beverages from, as well as much of the pottery for sale in the shop. Anyhow, moving on…
I’ve got a love for coffee and espresso that I never knew I could have! I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was about 12 years old, and the first cup of actual coffee that I remember was actually while I was on a short-term humanitarian aid trip to the Saharawi Refugee Camps in Western Algeria. I spent just over 2 weeks living in a clay hut and was served incredibly strong coffee every morning. At first I refused, but then began trying it with lots of sugar and hot milk. That was the beginning of a life of coffee for me. Two years after returning from that particular trip, I got a job at a drive thru espresso bar and learned most of what I know about drink production today. I learned there how to enjoy a black cup of coffee and straight shots of espresso. After working there for a few years and finishing up high school, I went overseas to attend a Bible School in northern England. I spent 6 months there before taking a month-long roadtrip with 3 of my buddies all over Europe. We spent that time pretty evenly between France, Spain, and Italy. As you could probably guess, I saw a lot of coffee in that time. Europe does coffee so incredibly. That month of traveling from small town to huge cities across Europe showed me a lot about how coffee should be done. I was definitely affected by that trip, and little did I know that those experiences with 8oz. cappuccinos and crema croissants would affect me to the point of wanting a place like that here in Little Chute. After the roadtrip, I spent another two months in Biblical studies in Schladming, Austria. After returning from my year in Europe, it took about 4 months before I decided that I was going to open a coffee shop. I decided I needed some sort of higher education to know how to run a business and also I took classes in baking. It took about three years from the start of the vision to it’s opening on September 30th, 2009. The road has been long, but ridiculously interesting and fun. And even though I didn’t end up with a “European cafe”, I sure am happy with the European elements I was able to incorporate into the layout, look, and beverage menu at Seth’s Coffee. I look forward to making your next cinnamon roll and double espresso con panna at Seth’s Coffee & Bake Shop! See you soon! Thanks for all of your support!
-Seth & Kate Lenz