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Tag: Molli Esping

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Mark Galloway – Blacksmith Coffee

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Bali. Brazil. Guatemala. Himalayan highlands. Kenya. Antigua. What do these diverse regions of the world have in common? The answer is, they all serve as a source of coffee for a remarkable coffee roasting business located in rural Kansas.

Mark Galloway opened the Blacksmith Coffee Roastery in Lindsborg, Kansas in 2008.
Mark Galloway opened the Blacksmith Coffee Roastery in Lindsborg, Kansas in 2008.

Last week we learned about The Old Grind, a coffee shop located in Lindsborg. In the coming months, The Old Grind will be joining with an amazing coffee roastery which is also located in Lindsborg and is named Blacksmith Coffee Roastery.

Mark Galloway is the founder of Blacksmith Coffee Roastery. Mark grew up in Colorado. His father loved to drink coffee. “I learned how to roast coffee and even worked for Starbucks for a while,” Mark said.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Molli Esping – The Old Grind – Part 1

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“Well, it’s back to the old grind.” That might sound like something we say reluctantly on Monday morning, but in this case, going to The Old Grind is a wonderful thing. The Old Grind is the name of a marvelous coffee shop, and it is located in a rural Kansas community that has been recognized as one of the best small towns in the entire nation.

lindsborgdalahorseMolli Esping is the owner and manager of The Old Grind coffee shop in Lindsborg, Kansas. The shop is located downtown in the Swedish community of Lindsborg.

Lindsborg is nicknamed Little Sweden because of its rich Swedish heritage which it celebrates in various ways. The community was settled in 1869 by a group of Swedish immigrants led by Pastor Olof Olsson. In 1890, Bethany College was established here.

Lindsborg is decorated with traditional Swedish dala horses. The downtown resembles a Swedish village and features lots of related shops and boutiques. Bethany College hosts an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah on Easter Sunday. Every other year the community celebrates Svensk Hyllningsfest, a festival designed to puzzle the spell check on any computer – I mean, to celebrate the town’s Swedish heritage.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Molli Esping – The Old Grind – Part 1” →