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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
So, Carly, you're at a coffee shop. What is
Carly Ries:your go to order? Okay. Depending on the day, I'm either very basic and I get a cappuccino, or I get this thing called a golden milk latte.
Lauren Ferrara:You're saying. My husband would agree.
Carly Ries:But have you had a golden milk latte?
Lauren Ferrara:I have. It's not like I I feel like when I get it, I'm being very healthy, and I'm proud of myself, but it is not my go to.
Carly Ries:Well, I just drank a lot of turmeric right before this call from my Golden Milk Latte. No coffee in it. Man, it's good. What is your go to?
Lauren Ferrara:My go to is an oat milk cappuccino. Oh. Yes.
Carly Ries:Okay. So you're not super basic. Oh, that's pretty basic. No? I mean,
Lauren Ferrara:you have a milk substitute. Well, only because I, I actually prefer it with whole milk, but then I'm trying to be healthy or whatever.
Carly Ries:Oh, fair. Well, I like it. Well, folks, welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where 2 close friends spill the tea and coffee
Lauren Ferrara:Yep.
Carly Ries:On all things Colorado Springs. From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we've got it covered. I am Carly Reiss.
Lauren Ferrara:And I'm Lauren Ferrara. We're sipping our coffee, really, today. I'm actually having my cappuccino right now, and we're diving into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. So whether you're a local or you're just passing through, we hope our fun, lighthearted, and entertaining take will keep you coming back for more.
Carly Ries:Well, so Lauren, what do you love about coffee shops?
Lauren Ferrara:You know, it's funny. Whenever I go to a new city, like, the first thing I do is find the most hipstery coffee shop I can find. And, like, the hipsters know good coffee. Right? Like, you can feel their vibe and you know you're at the right place.
Lauren Ferrara:And I just love that it feels like that community space, that third space that's like an extension of your living room. You get to know the locals, chitchat with strangers. Like, it's just like cheers or Central Park on friends.
Carly Ries:Yeah. Oh, I totally agree. I actually there's this app called Coffeetivity. I don't know if you've heard of this. I don't even know if you call it an app.
Carly Ries:I just type in coffee tivity.com. And it literally is just a playlist of coffee shop background noise. Oh, and so when I'm in my kitchen, or trying to get stuff done, I put on coffee tivity, and I'm like, I could totally get in the zone. And I get so much done at coffee shops.
Lauren Ferrara:Like, it's
Carly Ries:great for people watching, but, man, I can really crank stuff out.
Lauren Ferrara:I know. I have this home office. I put so much thought into, like, my workspace, and now it just collects all my magazines and mail and I I have to be outside of my home to actually work. So, Carly, you're on a mission to find the best to to to make your home the best coffee place, best
Carly Ries:coffee place. Not wanna serve coffee to a bunch of strangers in our home when we have to put that disclaimer out there. But for friends and family, you know how there's some people that are are like, oh, I want our friends to come to our house for a good Manhattan or a good steak or whatever. We want to be the house their friends come to when they're like, we're going on a walk. Let's just have a good cup cup of coffee over here.
Carly Ries:And so we have been touring around to different coffee shops around town, buying the beans, bringing them home, and blindly taste testing them to see which ones we actually like the best, because we're kinda partial to certain coffee shops around town that we just go to a lot. And so we're like, let's trick ourselves and see if our taste buds match our the brands
Carly Ries:that we follow
Lauren Ferrara:as well. What are you serving right now?
Carly Ries:So the top 3 right now. So we're so, I have to say, which this is a true story. Even if our guest wasn't on today, and we'll introduce her in a second, we always have so we have 3, like, canisters of beans in our house that are always on top of the, table, and then the others are in the cupboard. Top 3, we have Story Coffee in our house right now, which, oh my gosh. Love those.
Carly Ries:We have so my husband's a big, Nightmare Before Christmas fan. And so for our anniversary, I give him all these coffee beans and Solar Coffee, had a Nightmare Before Christmas branded coffee. So we're working our way through that. And then we have a bag of loyal next to it as well. So Solid.
Carly Ries:So I will. So those are
Lauren Ferrara:the over to your house next time.
Carly Ries:But we are work and those I mean, we love those 3 coffee shops, but we but we're still exploring the whole city. Like, we're literally trying to get through, like, just to see who has the best bean, and those are the 3.
Lauren Ferrara:Well, I love the blind tasting idea too. Thanks. You really know.
Carly Ries:But I, I just mentioned those 3. What's I mean, what are your favorite coffee shops?
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, so I obviously, story has a near and dear place in my heart. And we'll talk about that a little later. But I I hop around. So black magic in the Mining Exchange Hotel, I've been spending a lot of time there lately for many reasons. It's like a cool place to meet people or, like, meet you know, have meetings.
Lauren Ferrara:I'm just going up to people. It's so fun. Hi, Kim. I'm
Carly Ries:cool. Good.
Lauren Ferrara:Also, the hotel is dog friendly. So Huckleberry gets to join me. And they have they always have little biscuits for the doggies. So I just and I love the vibe. It's such a cool space right now.
Lauren Ferrara:And right across the street have you been to Jicona? I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right. But it's like so I don't think they even have a sign up yet. But it is a total hidden gem. They have video games there.
Lauren Ferrara:So I brought my kids and they'll play video games. And an insane baker, like, such good treats. And it is I don't wanna call it dog friendly on a podcast because I don't know that for sure, but I definitely have brought my dog. Nobody said a word. So I think it's dog friendly, which is nice.
Lauren Ferrara:Frankly is another good spot. I love their patio. It's like during the summer, I love going to Frankly. So
Carly Ries:Yes. Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:I'm a little obsessed with my dog lately, clearly, because you can blame the dog. They also have really good seasonal drinks. And I don't yeah. Like I told you, I'm a I'm a basic cappuccino girl. But every now and again, I'll try, like, a seasonal drink and I feel like they kinda nail it on and nothing like they're they're always super well balanced.
Lauren Ferrara:Nothing's too sweet. Like, a really sweet coffee is not my thing.
Carly Ries:They don't do they have PSLs in the fall? Do they have PSLs?
Lauren Ferrara:Do, but it's it's way better than you think it is. To make it a PSL? Starbucks one. It's like yeah. And and I always get it with just, like, a hint of that.
Lauren Ferrara:I don't want the full but even if if even if they give you the full syrup, it doesn't taste like too sweet.
Carly Ries:Alright. So I like it.
Lauren Ferrara:Have you been to Squishmack's?
Carly Ries:Yes. Yeah. Yes. And I I love the playground next to it. I always forget that one.
Carly Ries:I know they have 2 locations, but the one that with the playground Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:I always forget the 3.
Carly Ries:My kids love playing there.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm. And then, what about building 3?
Carly Ries:Yes. I actually went there for the first time. We were meeting for something, and I because I'd been to the complex before and just never had coffee shop. I think we were going to see a film there early.
Lauren Ferrara:So location, location, location. They're right by Rocky Mountain Women's Film, and they do their, gosh, monthly little film clubs and stuff.
Carly Ries:And this is all Cascade
Lauren Ferrara:for a little window now. Yes. It's the Lincoln School. Yes. So and, like, Flip Shack's there, Nightingale Bakery is there.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh,
Carly Ries:say no more. That's a whole other episode.
Lauren Ferrara:I think my husband has a little crush on the baker. He's like, I'm heading to.
Carly Ries:The baker. They met the
Carly Ries:bakery. Well, that's But, yeah,
Lauren Ferrara:I know. Like, the baker is he's like this celebrity, and my husband's like, he's like, he makes the best baguettes. So I'm like, he really does. Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:So So what about where are your go tos?
Carly Ries:You you mentioned a lot of
Lauren Ferrara:them. Yes. I did.
Carly Ries:So I said They can be your face. From our blind taste test, loyal is in in the top 3 canisters in our on our table right now. We talk we're we're going to be talking a lot about story. Kairos coffee is a hidden gem off of Garden of the Gods. Yeah.
Carly Ries:And when I think Garden of the Gods right off of I 25, there's a lot of, anywhere USA places.
Lauren Ferrara:You know
Carly Ries:what I mean? They have to do In N Out Burger there. It's just so busy.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah.
Carly Ries:Restaurants. And then there's this cutesy little coffee shop where you feel like you're in the mountains, and it is right off the interstate. Nice. So like that there. And then this one, I there's a little coffee shop in the canyon called Sacred Grounds, and I Oh, yes.
Carly Ries:If you are hiking or if it's a snowy day or whatever, you are you are in the mountains. You're in the canyon.
Lauren Ferrara:So cozy and cute.
Carly Ries:The ambiance is just very Colorado. And, I just like the location of that one. So just to piggyback off of yours, those are
Lauren Ferrara:are some other ones. Those are some good ones. And loyal, of course. Two locations. And, like, whenever I'm up north, yeah, the loyal like, that loyal ridgeline is such a great place to help heat up with folks.
Carly Ries:Absolutely. Can
Lauren Ferrara:we talk about our sponsor?
Carly Ries:I thought you'd never ask.
Lauren Ferrara:I love our sponsor, Core Collective. So Pilates is the best thing ever. The best thing you could do for your body. I'm obsessed. I've been doing it for well over 10 years now, and there is no place like Core Collective.
Lauren Ferrara:The classes, they're so they help you build strength and flexibility, improve posture and mental health. They reduce stress. They do all those things that Pilates does, and they also kick your booty. Like, the instructors are insane, in a good way. I think that would've loved.
Lauren Ferrara:But, like, yeah, they're super like, a lot of the classes are super hardcore, but it's also not at all intimidating. And I feel like it's super welcoming and everybody's rooting for each other and the instructors are your friends. Like, it feels like such an amazing space. So you came. What were your thoughts?
Carly Ries:First timer, really scared, don't know how to do Pilates. My kids are intimidating, and I loved it. Don't you? It's the best. They were so welcoming.
Carly Ries:It it just felt like such a great community in a warm environment, and I I had a smile on my face the rest of the day. I know this like, the sponsor did not tell us to say that. I genuinely had a smile on my face
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, I love that. The rest of
Carly Ries:the day. So it just makes you feel good.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. And, what's what's funny so I the both the instructors used to work for a Pilates franchise in town, and I would follow, like, there were 2 or 3 locations. Wherever they were, I would go like, I followed those specific instructors. And now that they have their own place, I am just so delighted. And this is something that's, like, very you know how if you cancel a workout class, they'll charge you, like, $20 and you're like, but I'm already paying so much money for the membership.
Lauren Ferrara:I'm mad. This will make you feel good about it because their late cancel fee goes to a nonprofit. So they pick a, like, movement based nonprofit every every quarter. And so if you late cancel, it's $10 rather than, like, 20 or 30 or whatever. And all of that goes to a nonprofit.
Lauren Ferrara:So they're not profiting on you missing your class, which I think
Carly Ries:is cool. Amazing. But let's pretend people want to go to the class. What do they have to offer
Lauren Ferrara:for us? They definitely wanna go. So they have this is the best offer they've offered since they've opened. They opened last December. If you use the code springs and things, and that's you gotta, spell out and, springs and things, you can get 3 classes for $30.
Lauren Ferrara:That deal goes till the end of 2024, and you can get it by going to corecollectivecos.com. Love it. So you might have noticed there was one coffee shop we did not talk a whole lot about, and that is Story Coffee, which holds a very special place in my heart. I feel like Story was one of the places that, like, was instrumental in making Colorado Springs a cool place to live. So I am so psyched to introduce our guest.
Lauren Ferrara:That's Carissa Niemeyer, the co owner of the story. Hey, Carissa.
Carly Ries:Hi, guys. Hi. I'm so excited you're here.
Carly Ries:Thanks for having me.
Lauren Ferrara:So tell me how so you guys have been open for almost 10 years.
Carly Ries:Yeah. Over 10 years this November.
Carly Ries:This November.
Lauren Ferrara:How did you wind up in Colorado Springs?
Carly Ries:Well, years ago, right after my husband and I got married, we actually lived here for a couple years with the goal of eventually moving out to Portland to pursue coffee.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm. So at
Carly Ries:the time, I was a nanny. My husband was actually working at Starbucks, and we were dreaming of starting a shop ourselves. Ironically, we actually had our first business plan was written, looking at a space directly across from where Solar Roast is now, about a block away from where Story is put up. So, eventually, we moved out to Portland, lived there for 9 years, I think, and then decided that being that far away from family wasn't a great idea. So we had a couple shops out in Portland, really got into the coffee scene there, decided to move back this way, and we wound up doing a road trip that took us to 47 states checking out the coffee scene.
Carly Ries:My husband did some writing for a coffee trade magazine at the time. And when we came back through Colorado, we never thought we'd wind up back here, but we drove back through and fell in love with it and decided this would be our spot we'd call home.
Carly Ries:Quick is this Sorry. You go. I'm so upset. You go.
Lauren Ferrara:Because you guys are like cancer spirits. You both done the RV thing and probably for longer than you had planned to. What states did you miss? You said 47 states.
Carly Ries:Yeah. So we missed North Dakota.
Carly Ries:Okay.
Carly Ries:I was born there, and no offense to North Dakota, but there wasn't a whole lot
Lauren Ferrara:to go see.
Carly Ries:So we were okay with missing North Dakota, and then we only were in the continental US. So we did not hit Alaska Hawaii.
Lauren Ferrara:That makes sense.
Carly Ries:That makes sense.
Carly Ries:Yeah. Well, I just listening to you talk, we so my husband and I were on the road 2014 and 2015, and then took a break to do the whole house kid, all that stuff, get married. That whole thing. But we were when we hit the road again, we're like, you know what we should do? We should find the best coffee shops in the country and just follow those coffee shops around.
Carly Ries:And you actually did that, and I am so jealous and offline because this could be a 10 hour conversation. You have to tell me, like, just your favorite places. Just I I just have so much I need to know, but that's so cool. You are. You lived a dream that people have, and I know that's true because I was one of those people.
Carly Ries:It was it really was a dream. It was fantastic.
Carly Ries:Yeah. Well and you're kind of a minimalist now from that experience. Right? Like, you kinda you put your focus on the things that really matter to you and forget the rest. Like, can you tell me about that a little bit?
Carly Ries:Yeah. So we knew that we were gonna travel, well, we knew we were gonna relocate. And then we got this idea of, like, well, there's lots of people since we live so far away that have never met our kids. Maybe we should just go see them, maybe take a couple weeks. And then as ideas do, that started to grow.
Carly Ries:And at first, we were like, well, let's get a van just big enough to camp and sleep in. And then that grew. And finally, we were like, well, what if we just sell everything we own and move into a tiny RV? And so what wound up happening is we knew we couldn't afford an RV and a house, so we sold everything but about 6 boxes of things and got a little 90 square foot RV for the 4 of us. It was myself, my husband, and our 2 older children at the time.
Carly Ries:And we slept 1 night in that RV just to make sure we liked it, and the next day, we put in our 1 month or 30 day notice with our landlord. And 30 days later, we moved in and stayed in that for about 4 years.
Carly Ries:Yep. See? It's cool. And this is before it was cool because I tell people that I RVed. And they're like, yeah.
Carly Ries:We have an RV too. And it's like, no. This was that but, like, pre 2020, that was not a thing. It was hard to find like minded people that were younger. I mean, it was all a bunch of retirees and everything.
Carly Ries:But it's really, like, gone nuts in the past 4 years, I feel like, but we were the OGs. Yeah. Totally. I think COVID opened up this door for people to
Carly Ries:be like, hey. Now we actually have time to do it. We're working from home. There's all these different spaces, which I think is really beautiful. For us, the big piece, sounds like you guys, is it wasn't, oh, we have an RV and we RV sometimes.
Carly Ries:It was, oh, look. We're homeowners of a 90 square foot home on wheels, and that's all we got Yeah. Along with a tiny bit
Lauren Ferrara:of storage. So What do you think is the best thing that has come out of minimalism for you?
Carly Ries:For for me, it's seeing how it plays out in my kids' lives.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:So all of us, when we dream about travel or we dream about whatever, I feel like there's this script that exists in the world that's like, oh, that's cool, but we don't have the money to do it. And I'm like, oh, we've never had the money to do it ever. But because everything else is gone and stripped down, our needs are so small that it makes it work for us. So I rarely hear my kids, my older 2 who are now 2018, when they think about traveling or they wanna go do something, they don't make a ton of money, but their script is like, oh, there's a way if we simplify everything, there's a way we can make this work, and they'll just go out and do it. And I love seeing, them figure out ways where life can work for them Mhmm.
Lauren Ferrara:And where their dreams are super possible because they've figured out how to strip it down to what really matters to them. Oh, I love that. And your husband, Don, said something that resonated with me so much. And he was like, we have so much. Like, when you think of human history, like, all of us, we have so much.
Lauren Ferrara:It's like warm water, and we can make coffee at our house, and all, like, all these little things that, like, would have been hard a 100 years ago Yeah. Or 50 years ago. And, yeah, we we do have so much even when it doesn't feel like we do. So I love I love the I'm an aspiring minimalist. And and thanks to you, basically, because you guys inspire me so much.
Lauren Ferrara:So how'd you guys decide on the tiny house? So is was that part of the minimalism?
Carly Ries:We that was kind of an accident. So we set out traveling with the goal of, like, okay. He'll do some writing. We'll check out some coffee shops, interview some owners, see what's out there in hopes of gathering some ideas. Because we had owned some coffee shops, but we had never had the opportunity to start a coffee shop from the ground up for it to be really what we dreamed of.
Carly Ries:We'd always taken over existing shops. And so there was 2 competing ideas. We'd walk into a shop. Like, there's one called, Spyglass that's in California, and it's stunning and beautiful and big and gorgeous. And we'd be like, we wanna do something beautiful like this.
Carly Ries:And then there's a spot called Tandem in Maine that we'd walk into, and there's, like, seating for 5, and it's 1 guy running it, his dream, and we'd be like, we wanna do that. That's us. And so there was these two things that felt diametrically opposed to each other, and we didn't know how to reconcile those things. And one day, we were actually at my parents' around Christmas time, and I walked down the stairs to where our bedroom was, and Don was there, and he's like, I figured out our next move. I was like, say more.
Carly Ries:Tell me. And he said, it's a tiny house because the tiny house movement specializes in beauty, and it specializes in elegance, and because it's in a small space, it's affordable and easy. And one of our big debates was, or one of our questions, curiosities, I would say, is can we do just coffee, which is what we love, without having to become a restaurant and without having to be a bar? Because those things aren't things we're passionate about.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm. Can
Carly Ries:we do just what we love and be able to feed our family? And so the tiny house in the end was a grand experiment of if we reduce overhead, if we make something beautiful that can be in a community but also really simple, Can we run run our life simply, close early, not have to make decisions based on huge overheads that we have to meet, and kinda craft the life we want? So and when you came to Colorado Springs 10 years ago and opened the tiny house right by it was by the skating rink
Lauren Ferrara:at the time. And that's that's when we met. I came in and, had to go to the bathroom. And there was no bathroom in your tiny house. I had my baby in her car seat at the time.
Lauren Ferrara:And I was like, hey. Will you guys watch this baby real quick? And I hopped the fence to go use the bathroom at the skating rink in a dress before I went to work, and then we became friends.
Carly Ries:That's perfect. Well and you were asking, like, can we do this? Remind me how many times you've been closed since your opening?
Carly Ries:We've been open every day since opening.
Lauren Ferrara:That's what
Carly Ries:I thought.
Lauren Ferrara:Monster snowstorms, that's Christmas Day, that's COVID. You guys kind of crushed it during COVID.
Carly Ries:Yeah. We were able to because it was simple and because we
Carly Ries:had a walk up window,
Carly Ries:we were able to just close indoor seating. People were able to come. And on Christmas Day for our family, it kind of became a great tradition where we opened late. So we opened at 8 or 9 on Christmas Day, and we closed around 3. But we would do our family traditions at home, and then all 4 of us would go over and hang out in the park together.
Carly Ries:We'd take chessboards and play and talk to people coming in who mourn with their families for the holidays and just spend time together. So it as opposed to I think sometimes people are like, come on. You should close on Christmas. But for us, it wound up being something that was a really special
Lauren Ferrara:And it was, like, all your regulars. I mean, my family has come in our Christmas pajamas before. Yeah. Like, the I think we've come every Christmas day because after we do the whole presents and relax and food, then we're like, let's go to Story Coffee. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:Do
Carly Ries:I look like a deer in headlights right now? Because I, like, feel like I'm looking at you right now, and I'm like, I wanna be you. Right. So if I'm, like, in a daze or something looking at you, I'm just like so I mean, maybe your husband has a crush on the baker. Now I have a girl crush.
Lauren Ferrara:I'm looking this mesmerized. But I have a I have a one time you guys did I think it was your 5 year anniversary or 5 year anniversary of the business being opened. Yeah. And you did this, what's your best story coffee story? And I was like, well, just go ahead and give me the prize because I win.
Lauren Ferrara:And it was so it was, gosh, almost 7 years ago. I went into labor on Christmas day that morning. My my baby wasn't due till mid January, and my mother-in-law, we were FaceTiming with her, and she goes, do you think baby Ferrara might come early? She said that and my water broke. Oh my gosh.
Lauren Ferrara:Couple weeks early. And and then I went to store a coffee. On our way to the hospital, Joe and I were like, hey. We're having a baby. And Don looked a little panicked and he was like, okay.
Lauren Ferrara:So you wanted to go? And I was like, now I want to sit down and enjoy my coffee. Because then after I go to the hospital and I leave the hospital, I will have 2 kids except I have 2 baby. So, no, I'm just gonna chill here for probably a while. And we sat down there and just, like, enjoyed being a family of 3 for one more hour.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, that's awesome. Really, such a special day. And then, as you know, like, Claire ended up in the NICU for a couple of days, like, Siri couple of days. And you guys and all the regulars, like, it was just this wave of love and support coming from my friends at Story Coffee and the people that I would see every morning having having coffee. So it's like Story will always be special to me for that reason and many, many more.
Carly Ries:I know I know I'm biased since it's our podcast, but this is why we wanted to do this kind of a show because it's seen story copy downtown. Like, it's like it looks cool. It's a tiny house. It's cool. It's like at the heart of the city.
Carly Ries:But you would never know. I mean, you you go to your website, I guess, and read your story. But how many people go to coffee shop websites when they can just grab a cup? And I just I hope this sinks in with people because this your story is just incredible. And I'm just so happy that we got you guys, and and then another city didn't.
Carly Ries:Yes.
Carly Ries:Of all the places. Right? Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:Of all the places. So was it about Colorado Springs that you were like, this is it. This is where we are going to
Carly Ries:put our tiny house coffee shop? So it started partially with for me being in the mountains is a nonnegotiable.
Lauren Ferrara:I grew
Carly Ries:up in Montana, and you can get 2 mountains in Oregon, but we homeschool, and and in 5 minutes, I can have my kids hiking. So that's a a really big deal. And then logistically, we had to be a day's drive to both of our parents. And so there's a few logistical things, but we came back through actually to just visit some friends and went over to the principal's office for coffee one morning. And it was a super cool spot.
Carly Ries:And one of our critiques previously of Colorado Springs, why we thought we probably wouldn't move back from 21 years ago, was that it felt like Colorado Springs was a really divided city from hyper conservatives who hated the liberals, and then the hyper liberals who hated the conservatives, and the people that live in the middle that are like, I bet if we led with our name, we'd probably get along pretty good. Like, if we just introduced ourselves, we probably have a lot in common. It felt like 20 years ago, that didn't exist.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And so it didn't really feel like a place that could be home Mhmm. For especially for me for me and, you know, raising kids, whatever. When we came back through that middle ground of people, that just felt like, oh, I bet we're all pretty good people, had grown so big and expansively. So it felt like the environment physically
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:Is just an attractive place no matter what.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:But the environment, human to human wise, feel like it had expanded into this really beautiful welcoming place. Yeah. And it felt like a place like, oh, yeah. No. This is a good spot to have my kids.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. I could not agree more because I feel like people that don't live here,
Carly Ries:they're like, oh, isn't it crazy conservative?
Lauren Ferrara:You know? And I'm like, not in not in my experience. Like, the people I spend my time with, yeah, kinda live where you do and have open minds and, yeah, kind of live in the middle, I guess. And there's a lot more of that than I think we get credit for. Totally.
Lauren Ferrara:So I have a very important question. Yes.
Carly Ries:What is your go to drink when you go to a coffee shop? Oh, cappuccino. Oh, yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:Whole milk or, whole milk or oat milk? Whole milk.
Carly Ries:Lots of that. Generally, whole milk, but I've recently started getting it with half and half.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh. Oh. That sounds delicious. Oh.
Carly Ries:It tastes like soft serve ice cream, but, like, melted down. It's you should try it. Uh-huh.
Lauren Ferrara:Well, it was funny. You guys you guys led me to cappuccinos because my drink before when I started coming to story was a latte with a drop and literally a drop of honey. And I could only get it at story because everybody else thought I meant, like, a dollop. And, and you guys nailed it every single time. And then I asked Dawn one time, I was like, what's your drink?
Lauren Ferrara:I want to drink what you drink. And he said he said a cappuccino. Like, it doesn't get better than cappuccino. And now I am a cappuccino drinker and an aspiring minimalist because of you guys.
Carly Ries:Yeah. And so we when we started getting involved years ago in coffee competitions, a cappuccino is a drink that was, was served. So the baristas had to serve a straight espresso, a cappuccino, and then they got to get creative with whatever drink they wanted. And so the cappuccino was the way to evaluate a shop. Yes.
Carly Ries:Plus, it's just so good. So we were kind of trained that way in all of our trainings. And then you can't go wrong with it.
Lauren Ferrara:I hate going to a coffee shop and you ask for a cappuccino and they ask you
Carly Ries:what size?
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. I'm like, oh, never mind. Never mind. My cappuccinos are the same size. I'll just have a black coffee, please.
Carly Ries:Out in Portland, we asked, we asked somebody. We're like, okay. We'd love we'd love to get a cappuccino and a macchiato. And they said, absolutely. Now just to be clear, if you were making that, what would you make?
Carly Ries:And we were like I was like, just drip coffee, actually.
Lauren Ferrara:And my husband was like, yeah.
Carly Ries:We're good with drip. We're fine.
Lauren Ferrara:So what is the strangest conversation you have ever overheard? Ask. Or you don't have to name names.
Carly Ries:Oh, easy. It was the most uncomfortable I've ever been in one of my shops. And so people, I think, who who with our with our tiny house location, who know that we're a tiny house or who have been there before knows there's not much seating.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And we don't have Internet. We don't have, you know, those sort of things because we try and prioritize people having a moment Yes. You know, with each other or on their own. But whoever this person was, I think thought, saw, like, oh, cool coffee shop. I should go there for a blind date.
Carly Ries:And so they did. And the fella came in first and got his coffee and sat down at the table closest to I was the barista, closest to me, which is, like, 4 feet away from me. And then, eventually, his date comes in, gets a drink, and also sits at that table. And there's so I mean, there's a whole park. But instead, it's just me and this couple on their 1st flight date.
Carly Ries:I'm in a tiny house. Like, I don't have a corner to go around
Lauren Ferrara:to pretend to do dishes.
Carly Ries:And it was not a successful mind date. Like, it was one of those awkward they kept trying. Oh. And I just wanted to be like, hey. Do you need somebody to call this for you?
Carly Ries:Like, it's never gonna work. Y'all should just drink your coffee faster and go home. Like this is not going well. It was so uncomfortable. And anytime she would try and make a joke he would like, not understand.
Carly Ries:Or he would say something. It was terrible, and it lasted almost an hour. Meanwhile, it was just me because it was when we were pretty new.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And so we didn't have a ton of customers, and the whole thing was just a mess.
Carly Ries:Well, and so to piggyback off of awkwardness and weirdness, what's the weirdest concoction somebody has asked you to make?
Carly Ries:Oh, we so we've purposely kept our menu super simple. And so there isn't a whole lot of room. Occasionally, we'll get asked I I had a moment where and we train our staff like this too. If somebody wants something, just clarify with what it is and make it. Right?
Carly Ries:Like, if you've got the stuff, make what they want. And somebody got real upset with me one time when they kept trying to order an iced hot chocolate, and I really wanted to make them what they wanted. So I kept saying, so basically, the chocolate, and then the milk. And instead of steaming it, you want it cold over ice. Is that correct?
Carly Ries:And they just kept saying, I want an iced hot chocolate. So I was like, are you looking for steamed and hot? They're like, that'd be gross. I'm like, yes, we agree. I just don't know.
Lauren Ferrara:You want chocolate milk?
Carly Ries:Yeah. Exactly. Iced chocolate milk. But I think that's offensive. And they left with nothing and very upset.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. So what's a little known fact about Story Coffee?
Carly Ries:One of the little known facts, I think, is that we that the whole thing was kind of a giant accident. When we started building this tiny house coffee shop, we had never seen anything like it. We've seen food trucks, but nothing where you can come in and sit down where it's an actual walk in cafe. And so we didn't know if people would say yes to that or not. So we built this whole thing, not knowing if we would ever have a place to put it, or if anybody would ever let us.
Carly Ries:So the whole time our backup plan was that it would be our new house because it was bigger than the RV. So we were like, this is like twice the square footage. If this doesn't work out, we'll
Carly Ries:put in a loft, we had the whole plan for how
Carly Ries:it would become our home. If we didn't have a place to put it, then we got to Colorado Springs. And we were looking at different parking lots. And while we were meeting with somebody about a parking lot to potentially put it in, we wound up meeting with a woman from downtown partnership. Nice.
Carly Ries:And she actually said, hey, if you're open to it, maybe you'd consider just doing a soft open at the park. To that point, we're like, yes. Anywhere. That sounds great. And, that began the journey of Colorado Springs continuing to invite us to be
Lauren Ferrara:in that space. So every now and again, I've run into you or Dawn at another coffee shop. And it feels so weird. Like, I'm like, woah. You're here, not at your coffee shop.
Lauren Ferrara:And I'm here, not at your coffee shop. I feel like when you were a little kid and you saw your teacher at the grocery store or something where you're like It just so gives you. Yes. I know. So where if you were gonna get a coffee, not from Story Coffee, where's your go to?
Carly Ries:Oh, that's a good question. I find myself a lot at Switchback Hillside, specifically because I can get a coffee, I can meet with a friend, and we can have our coffee in ceramic, which is my favorite. I don't like taking coffee to go while our kids play in the back. And we can have a moment and our kids can have a moment.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. It is so it is perfect spot for that. I love that. Well, some other things I adore about many, many things I adore about story. Your avocado toast.
Lauren Ferrara:I know that you didn't wanna get into the food game and it took, you know, 9 years, 8 years for you to make this happen. Yeah. Your avocado toast is the best avocado toast in town and it's $8. Not like $17 where you get this, like, avocado spread. It is perfection.
Lauren Ferrara:And their pop tarts. Oh, I love Pop Tarts. Are so good too. Thank you. Pop Tarts Tuesday is, like, another special moment in my family's life because that was I mean, if I said it was Tuesday, they were like, Pop Tarts Tuesday.
Lauren Ferrara:And we'd go before school or after school, have our Pop Tarts, and they are not the Pop Tarts you're thinking of. If you bought Pop Tarts at the grocery store, then you're not those Pop Tarts. Tell us about the Pop Tarts.
Carly Ries:So years ago, we had this idea to start something special once a week. Week. And the idea of pop tarts were great. They were kinda trendy at the time, and we had a baker, and we were like, what do you think about doing those? And so she rolled them out for us.
Carly Ries:And for us, pop tart Tuesday remains special because my 3rd daughter was born on a Tuesday, a pop tart Tuesday, and she came very quickly. So my husband still calls her pop tart. That's her name. And, every every year on her birthday, that's what we have for our birthday treat first thing in the morning.
Lauren Ferrara:So you guys also have a ridiculous loyalty program, which I love. So every buy 10 drinks, you get one free. And then it's also, you are you still doing free cap Friday?
Carly Ries:We are. Yes. We love free
Lauren Ferrara:cap Friday. And it's funny because there's been times, so if you spend I think it's $4, you could you get a free cappuccino.
Carly Ries:So if
Lauren Ferrara:you buy a scone, you can get a free cappuccino. And there's been times I've come on Wednesday and thinking it's Friday. And I was like, oh, are you not doing it anymore? And they're like, yes. But it's Wednesday, Lauren.
Lauren Ferrara:So sorry for that kind of week. So and then years so when we moved away from downtown, we moved south southwest, it was like a hard decision because I was like, we are moving away. We won't be able to walk to Story Coffee anymore. Like, this was a hard decision, and this is an extension of my living room. Like, my life will not be the same if you are not a block away from me.
Lauren Ferrara:And then you opened another and I feel like it was I know it wasn't for me, but the hell it was for me. Like, there's the West Side Story, essentially, on Colorado Avenue, which is closer to where I live, which is fabulous. How do you like having the 2 spaces?
Carly Ries:We have loved it. For us, it was a tricky, a tricky decision to make in some ways. And part of that is because when we have the tiny house, people would always come in and ask us if we were ever gonna when we were gonna open a real shop, which always makes me laugh. And we were like, as opposed to this make believe one
Lauren Ferrara:you're standing in right now.
Carly Ries:Like, what do you mean? But for us, that was our experiment in keeping things really simple. So people would always ask us, like, why don't you stay open later? And our answer was, because we wanna have dinner with our kids. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:We don't want to. Yeah.
Carly Ries:And we don't wanna do all that. So for us, a second space was a little bit trickier to in that way of, like, okay, this this does change. Like, right now, we run a tiny house that can run with 2 people at the most.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:If everything goes crazy in the world, we can give our girls some coloring books, and Dawn and I can run or, you know, we have 2 daughters that have worked at story for a long time. Mhmm. 2 of us can run the shop, and we can make a go of it that way. Right? Because there's been a few times in life where you're like, what's fixing to happen?
Carly Ries:We were always like, well, at least we can figure this out.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:But our friends, Ryan and Valerie Lloyd, bought the space we're in right now, which is fantastic, with this goal of having a space for the community that really brings out beauty. And they talked to us about wanting to open a coffee shop here. We had actually just moved to this neighborhood. And, so in that way, it was easy because throwing in with people that wanna bring beauty to spaces and not for the goal of getting more, but for the goal of offering something. Mhmm.
Carly Ries:When somebody wants you to throw in on that, that feels like a pretty easy yes. So it was easy in some ways, and we were excited. It was a little tricky, but the community's been great, and we've grown and been able to hire staff to where our life still we still get to be home around the dinner table with our kids.
Lauren Ferrara:Nice. And I keep trying to convince you guys to because we spend a lot of time in Summit County in the mountains, and there's they're lacking in coffee shops up there. And I'll say to Don, I'm like, when are you gonna open a place in Summit County? And he's like, it's not gonna be me. Never.
Lauren Ferrara:And I'm like, I wish they could really use a story coffee. Yep. Just
Carly Ries:like, hard no. We get asked that of here and there where people are like, hey. We're thinking about this, and we're like, nope. Because there's in life, right, there's 2 ways to get what you want in life. There's to go out and work super hard and do all these things and get it, or there's to want less.
Carly Ries:And our family is really good at wanting less.
Lauren Ferrara:I love that. You want the right things
Carly Ries:out. Your priorities are so on point.
Carly Ries:Thank you. It feels it feels right for our family. So when we're having having staff meetings, talking to them, we're like, we have no desire to grow. I mean, wholesale accounts, sure. Helping people get set up and helping them, great.
Carly Ries:But as far as building some empire, we'll leave that to
Lauren Ferrara:I love that. We'll leave
Carly Ries:that to be able to help. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:And I have the time and space for what really matters. And I think that is so cool.
Carly Ries:Yes. And Lauren, I'm just so happy you decided to bring her on the show today.
Lauren Ferrara:This Oh, yeah. It was obvious. I was like, Carissa must be our first guest.
Carly Ries:Oh. Yes. And we just so appreciate you taking the time.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. Thank you. Well, now we have to talk about our pick of the week. And this is something we're gonna do every week where what are we doing this weekend?
Carly Ries:So if you guys haven't heard of the lunacy, it's going on at the Pillow Boat Art Theater. We went last year and we had seen that actor at another show in like a circus at the venue. I had never seen my husband laugh hard enough from what this actor can do. And I was in the circus balloonacy. I don't wanna give anything away.
Carly Ries:I actually knew nothing about it when we went to it last year and was so pleasantly surprised. So if you are looking for an awesome show for you, for your kids, for anybody, go check out Baloonesi at the Millibaugh Art Theater, and that's the mat.org. Just themat.org.
Lauren Ferrara:And I love all of their shows. And, yeah, the folks that run it, it is a special, special place. And it's a delightful show. I saw it last year as well. I love it.
Carly Ries:Carissa, do you have a pick of the week?
Carly Ries:Yes. So Downtown Partnership always does a shop local the Saturday after. Small Business Saturday, downtown. But this year, they're opening that up a couple weeks early. Oh.
Carly Ries:And so on November 23rd from 11 to 4, they're doing a small business shop small event, and they'll have Colorado brass as well as some kaler carolers downtown Cool. Walking around, offering music up for people. And then, during that time between now December, I believe it's 4th, any $50 spent cumulatively at downtown organizations, there's a way on, on their website that you can upload those receipts and get entered in a chance to win a $150 gift card or their grand prize of a $1,000 gift card for shopping downtown before the holidays.
Lauren Ferrara:That's awesome. And, yeah, I I love I don't love that frenzy right after the after Thanksgiving. Like, just buy what you need when you need it. And, like, it doesn't have to be on this one day. So that's very cool.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. Get ready. That money stays stays right here in Colorado Springs. So, thank you for being our first guest.
Carly Ries:Thank you.
Carly Ries:And I knew you 2
Lauren Ferrara:would hit it off because you are kindred spirits in so many ways.
Carly Ries:I feel like I zoned out for, like, the last half of this segment because I was just like, I just think you're so cool, and I wanna hear all the stories. So And we didn't even
Lauren Ferrara:get this is another podcast for another time, but Chris is also a doula. You were the first you knew I was pregnant with my second child before I told my husband. So speaking of, we were talking about, like, the strangest conversate. Like, I just came in. I was like, Chris, I have to tell you something.
Lauren Ferrara:Hey. I was like, because I was just so shocked and yeah. And it was just such a wonderful space and person to be able to share that special news with.
Carly Ries:Everybody knows your
Lauren Ferrara:day. Yes. Exactly. Also, thank you for being here. And if you like this podcast, and I hope you do, we would love for you to subscribe and leave a 5 star review.
Lauren Ferrara:Share it with a friend. That way more people can hear it and listen to it. And and and then more people can share the stuff they love about Colorado Springs with us, and then we can do other podcasts about it. So super, super excited.
Carly Ries:Yes. We would so appreciate it, and we will see you next week.