College students and their coffee. There’s quite a reputation there.
If you’ve ventured off campus in search of a good old-fashioned cup of coffee in recent years, it’s likely you’ve stumbled across Who’s Your Coffee Roastery.
Located in Hartford City, Indiana, this quaint establishment has recently come under new ownership, handed off by previous co-owners Mindy Harvey and Travis Stroud to longtime Hartford City resident, Stacey Bonham.
It was Bonham’s friend that originally introduced her to the idea of taking over the shop.
“She saw that a coffee shop was for sale, and one of the things that I’ve always wanted to do is have a bakery, a little shop, something to that nature,” she said. “And she sent me a message, and she’s like, ‘You need to do this.’”
The shop has been Who’s Your Coffee since its opening in 2019.
Though new business ownership can be an intimidating endeavor, Bonham said that Harvey was a major help throughout the transition of taking over the shop.
“It just kind of came at the right time,” Bonham said.
Bonham, who grew up in Hartford City, sees Who’s Your Coffee as an opportunity to invest and connect with her community.
She draws her business experience from various management roles over the years but had never dipped her feet into the pool of entrepreneurship — that is, on her own. As a child, Bonham helped her parents with the small engine business they owned.
Now, her daughter owns a local floral business, Eclectic Blooms, her brother owns a construction business and her son and his girlfriend operate Who’s Your Coffee throughout the week.
For the Bonhams, business is a family affair.
“My plan would be in five years to be able to retire from what I call my ‘real job,’ and just be able to do this full-time, because by then, my son will be on his way to bigger and better things,” Bonham said.
Who’s Your Coffee is a business built on collaboration.
The shop roasts their own beans, a process that invites residents to give their input on what flavors they’d like to taste and purchase for their own families.
“You don’t see that at a lot of places,” Bonham said. “Usually, people are buying their beans from someone else. So, we can make blonde, we can make medium or dark roast. If we have people that come in and they’re wanting something, we can sometimes kind of work to what they want, and I think that kind of makes it kinda special … So, we’re really proud of that.”
They also offer baked goods, such as cupcakes, muffins and scones, as well as breakfast sandwiches with ingredients made to mix-and-match. A customer-favorite menu item is their broccoli cheddar soup.
Bonham’s goal is to continue to join forces with small businesses in the area.
Last year, Who’s Your Coffee hosted a fall market with autumn activities and vendors, which she wants to build upon each year. She also hopes to launch a book club with an upcoming small book business in town.
Business ownership hasn’t been all rose-colored, however, Bonham considers her success thus far a nod to the support of those around her.
“I think you learn that, you know, when you’re on the outside looking in, a lot of times it looks pretty easy, but there’s a lot to it,” she said.
Bonham encourages an emphasis on pursuing excellence in the day-to-day tasks and relying on the help of others.
Ultimately, her desire is for everyone who comes in the door of Who’s Your Coffee — whether residents, Taylor students or the like — to feel like they’ve encountered something special.
“Hopefully, when you come in here, you get a good feeling,” Bonham said. “I feel like we’re very welcoming, and you don’t always get that everywhere.”
