Kansas couple turns bus to coffee shop on wheels
Jul. 7—Not many have an empty school bus just sitting around in the yard, but one Highland, Kansas, couple did and decided to put it to good use.
The pair combined the vehicle with their interests in coffee and food trucks, creating The Coffee Bus.
After taking the seats out and embarking on a cross-country trip for a bachelor party, Cheyenne and Braden Grossman had no idea what to do with their school bus. The newlyweds were unable to sell it, so they decided to make the most of the extra space and create a fun side hustle that provided them with spare quality time.
"It took us about a month to do the whole renovation," Cheyenne Grossman said. "The community response has been awesome, lots of involvement and people wanting us to take it everywhere, which is great. I think it's really good that we have the community support behind us. Without that, we definitely couldn't do anything with this."
In the two months their bus has been riding around the Highland area, they have been asked to several events. The interest in their mobile shop has grown so significantly, the couple now has to turn down invitations. Both said they did not foresee such encouragement from their neighbors.
"We have a couple of people constantly like 'When are you going to open every day at your house so I can come every morning?'" she said. "It's really good though that everybody is wanting that and they're asking for constant things like they want to buy our T-shirts, which we haven't sold yet but we plan on, and so it's great that they want to support us in that way, wearing our shirts around and getting our logo and name out."
They have added flooring, power, walls and plumbing for functionality. The bus also quickly graduated from a table to have a countertop with underneath cabinets installed to hold all of the equipment and inventory.
"We're constantly going to be doing something to fix it up or modify it because as I do stuff and do more and add to the menu, we know we need more space or need something changed or moved," Grossman said. "It's an ongoing, constant cycle."
Cheyenne Grossman has a background in roasting coffee beans working for a shop around her former college campus. When she and Braden started the process of their own shop, they decided to go local with their own blend.
Cheyenne's brother, who she describes as a picky coffee consumer, suggested trying out Mokaska Coffee's beans for the bus' blend. After she tried a cup of the St. Joseph staple's coffee, she was hooked and her customers have been, too.
"People love Mokaska, they'll come up and ask what beans we have, and I think honestly, if we didn't have Mokaska, some of them would walk away," she said.
The pair has designated positions within their business, with Cheyenne creating the menu and and brewing the drinks while Braden drives the bus and handles the outdoor setup. They said knowing and enjoying their roles within The Coffee Bus has increased their success.
"If one of us didn't enjoy it in certain aspects, it wouldn't be fun to go out together and do it," Braden Grossman said. "The fact that we both like parts of it is good, it keeps it alive... If it ever becomes hard work, it will not be fun anymore and we will have to restructure, but right now, it's fun, we enjoy doing it and we're behind it."
Future improvements to the bus will include new tires and potential expansion to the front interior to make room for food options. The bus is also in need of a fresh coat of paint, with Kansas law calling for the vehicle to not be the recognizable shade of yellow as it is not operating for a school-related purpose.
Due to licenses to operate their business, the Grossmans will be keeping The Coffee Bus in Kansas for the time being. So far, they have been serving up cups of coffee at flea and farmers' markets and festival-type events.
Stef Manchen can be reached at stef.manchen@newspressnow.com.
