People are often shocked when they hear that even though I work for Aldea Coffee, I don’t drink coffee on a regular basis. In fact, Aldea Coffee is the first and only coffee that I have ever had in my entire life. I began working here during the summer of 2015, and I began to appreciate coffee as I learned more about where it came from, how it was processed, prepared, and served. However, for my personal well-being, tea continues to be a pivotal part of my life and daily routine. As an organization we put our passions and people first. Because of this, I was able to find a home here as the tea expert. I had previously been...
Not once in my life did it ever cross my mind that I would be living on Lake Michigan, far from my house and land in the Idaho Rockies, and even farther from an ocean. I told my son, “We don’t have to move to Grand Haven. Your grandfather can afford to fly you and your mom back and forth.” His ten-year-old brain answered, “You’re writing a book. Your girlfriend Nancy is gone. Why not move there. I don’t want to live so far from Mom.” And suddenly we were camping across Montana and South Dakota in July and August only to find ourselves in an alien culture. A church at every intersection and an American flag in every...
We love travel mugs at Aldea for a few reasons; the word “travel” itself implies that we are out experiencing and enjoying life. Secondly, the more we use our travel mugs when we are taking a drink on the go, the less waste we produce. Furthermore, when we carry our own mugs the dings, stickers, and scratches tell a little bit of our story and can be a gentle reminder to get back out and do it all again. Side note: Do not be afraid to bring your mug in when it’s dirty. We are always happy to wash it. If you do not have a travel mug or are looking for a new one, here are three reasons to...
Each book on our shelf at the shop has been deliberately chosen, as they are a reflection of our values and have personally influenced each of us in a different way. We have put together this guide to the books for sale in our cafe at the Armory and why you will find them there. Zingerman’s Business Book Series Author | Ari Weinzweig Highlights | business can be done differently; powerful and alternative visioning, leadership, personal organization A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach is a business based book series written by Zingerman’s founder Ari Weinzweig. Zingerman’s is based in Ann Arbor, MI. Building a Great Business is the first book we read together as a team and is the first in...
Aldea recently began an initiative to visit our local partners and learn about their practices. It has become our priority to understand how to be green in our shop, and learn what others are doing at the forefront of sustainable living at home and work. So, we took a field trip to Laughing Tree Bakery, one of the first relationships we formed as Aldea Coffee. We look to Laughing Tree Bakery as a role model for sustainable embodiment. Not only does the team at Laughing Tree incorporate renewable practices in how they cook and live their daily lives, but also in how owners, Charlie and Hilde Muller, interact as a family. On this awe-inspiring field trip, we learned about healthy...
