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Changes brewing at Coffee Hag
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Jenn Melby took over the Coffee Hag last September and has been working to improve the place ever since. The fair trade organic coffees are one of the changes made. John Cross
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Make way for organic coffees
Local hipsters and caffeine enthusiasts probably already have a place in their hearts for Mankato’s Coffee Hag.
But the popular coffee bar has gone through some changes in the last six months and further revamps are on the way.
It all began last fall when a one-time Coffee Hag barista returned from a multi-year stint in the Twin Cities (where she did everything from manage a chiropractor’s office to work as a Target store team leader) to buy the Riverfront Street establishment.
“I wanted to start my own coffee shop based on the Coffee Hag,” said new owner Jenn Melby.
So when the opportunity arose to purchase the actual source of her inspiration, she dove right in.
Last September Melby took over the Hag and started renovations almost immediately, trying to resurrect some aspects of the coffee bar’s former glory.
“I wanted to bring it back to what I knew the Coffee Hag could be,” she explained.
They started with the dirtiest job: redoing the en-tire water filtration system.
“That took about a week,” Melby said.
But she also put some long-term changes into motion. They switched the entire coffee stock to all organic, fair trade beans that had only been a portion of the menu under the previous owners. Whenever possible, Melby said they purchase fair trade teas as well.
The food at the Coffee Hag also has changed. Specializing in vegetarian foods, the coffee bar now makes everything from scratch. Melby didn’t want to throw out the old menu. Instead, she took items the Coffee Hag had offered for years and tried to breathe some new life into them.
“We’ve been revitalizing the food,” Melby said. “We know what foods we already make well, and our plan is to go from there.”
The most significant changes, though, may not be anything available to drink or eat. Melby’s philosophy of the Coffee Hag’s role in the community is what’s driving all her decisions.
“(The Coffee Hag) is a place to come and be who you are,” she said. “We work really hard to make people feel welcome.”
That philosophy appears to be permeating through both the coffee bar’s employees and its
customers.
“The changes have been really significant and positive,” said Coffee Hag employee Nora Myers, citing the larger and improved menu as well as commitment to organic and fair trade goods.
“Jenn rules,” she added.
But Melby stressed the value of having a staff who is willing to work toward the same ends.
“A lot of (customers) tell me it’s a real positive energy, that they feel welcome when the come in,” Melby said. “All the employees here have really helped make these changes.”
Upcoming changes include getting back the Coffee Hag’s reputation as a launching pad for local talent. Melby, a guitarist in the folk music group Sister Gin, got her start performing at the Hag. Now she wants to give that same opportunity to a new generation of performers, hopefully every Friday and Saturday night.
Melby’s trying to get old fans of the Coffee Hag who haven’t been by in a while to stop in.
“I’d encourage them to come back and see. Some of the changes are subtle, but others are huge.”
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