Streetside coffee shop changes hands

Johnson Lane residents Don and Karen Hall have taken over the tidy red hut on the highway known as Nevada Joe Coffee on Main.

"It looked like a fun thing to do, and it's turning out to be a fun thing to do," Karen Hall said on Thursday.

The Halls are no strangers to small business. They owned a Mexican restaurant in Sacramento for 10 years, ran a deli/liquor store in Minden for three years and were also partners in a Gardnerville jazz club.

"Business is good so far, and we've gotten real positive feedback," Hall said. "We're pretty much keeping everything the same as far as customers are concerned. Nothing has really changed except that I'm here now."

The drive-though coffee shop, which sits near the intersection of Highway 395 and County Road, has been in business for six years. Hall said it has garnered some devoted customers.

"We definitely have regulars, but hope to get some new people, too," she said. "Hopefully, the economy is not affecting coffee-drinking habits."

Hall said the four employees who stayed on, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsay and Cherylee, are teaching her the ins and outs of the operation.

"I'm still learning the ropes," she said. "The ladies have been so helpful."

Hall has been busy ordering supplies and stocking shelves, but also learning how to make popular beverages.

"The mochas and the lattes are the most popular," she said. "We also have a lot of fruit smoothies that are popular, as well as teas and chais."

Hall will continue to offer coffee from Minden-based Alpen Sierra Coffee Roasting Company.

"We're already familiar with them, and we're working to make the coffee products the best they can be," Hall said. "Hopefully in the future we'll be offering more blends."

But she is switching her pastry supplier to Genoa Peak Bakery.

"Scones, muffins, brownies and blondies," Hall said. "We wanted to be local, and they are very good. The company is just getting started, and we're helping each other out."

One more change is an extension in business hours. Nevada Joe is now open on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"It's double-punch day for the cards, so customers can get a free drink quicker," Hall said. "We want people to come in and visit us and give us ideas if there is something they want to see. We're open to suggestions."

Regular business hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Nevada Joe Coffee on Main is located at 1572 Highway 395 in Minden. Call 782-8090 for more information.