Drinks on the new Euphoria Espresso store in Calmar, Iowa. All pictures courtesy of Euphoria Espresso.
Jubilation comes within the type of fresh-roasted espresso on the new Euphoria Espresso store in Northeastern Iowa.
A number of miles north from Euphoria’s authentic location — which is now underneath new possession in close by West Union, Iowa — the second store spreads out in an 1,800-square-foot house in Calmar, designed to really feel like an immediately acquainted Midwest hangout spot.
Euphoria in Calmar.
“What we had been going for was someplace between an previous traditional restaurant or steakhouse and your grandma’s basement,” Euphoria Espresso Founder and Calmar location proprietor Nick Yost not too long ago informed Day by day Espresso Information.
Inexperienced hanging lamps over black upholstered sales space alongside one wall are paying homage to diners of yesteryear, with heat mild bouncing off 70s-style wooden wall paneling. The identical panels line the entrance of the bar, the place baristas work with a La Marzocco Linea Traditional AV paired with a Mahlkönig E65S grind-by-weight grinder. A Curtis G4 ThermoPro generates batch brews. Fiberglass bowling alley seats add to the store’s classic enchantment.
Euphoria in Calmar.
Coffees for each Euphoria places are roasted by Yost in a 15-kilo Genio roaster, which sits in plain view of company on the authentic, extra modernistic authentic cafe in West Union. At that store, potted vegetation, together with native prairie grasses and flowers, brighten up a largely black and white inside.
Yost not too long ago bought the West Union cafe to its longtime supervisor, Nicole Havenstrite, who’s sustaining the espresso program, working carefully with Yost.
The Euphoria roaster in West Union.
“Again within the day, we leaned into extra minimalist, impartial branding,” mentioned Yost. “We’ve actually targeted extra on authenticity within the final yr and a half, and this [new] store is absolutely an extension of that.”
Yost maintains extra manufacturing house close to the West Union cafe, the place saved inexperienced coffees from quite a few espresso importers targeted on long-term relationships with producers, together with Collaborative Origins, Lohas Beans, Crop to Cup and others.
The West Union location.
“You’ll be able to name it direct commerce. I suppose I concentrate on relationship coffees. I’m not large on buzzwords,” mentioned Yost. “We work instantly with some farmers. Even after I do a extra conventional route of working with an importer, it at all times comes with the request for entry to the farmer. I’ve discovered over time that importers who’re prepared to be like, ‘yeah, right here’s Don Santiago’s quantity, name it,’ they’ve earned my belief.”
Euphoria roasts of an anaerobic-natural-process espresso from Colombia not too long ago gained a number of medals on the Golden Bean roasting competitors. Whereas future Euphoria endeavors might embrace extra trade competitions, the roasting firm is concentrated totally on operations at dwelling.
Euphoria in Calmar.
“I’m very a lot a ‘take alternatives as they arrive’ form of individual. I’ve by no means actually been in a position to drive development, so we’re simply eager to organically develop,” mentioned Yost. “I might like to open up possibly two extra places within the subsequent 5 years, however the suitable alternatives are going to need to current themselves.”
Euphoria Espresso is situated at 110 Maryville St. in Calmar. Feedback? Questions? Information to share? Contact DCN’s editors right here.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the affiliate editor of Day by day Espresso Information by Roast Journal. He’s primarily based in Portland, Oregon.
