Inspiring Conversations with Crista Rogers of Walnut Hill Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crista Rogers.

Hi Crista, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Crista Rogers, co-founder of Walnut Hill Coffee Company. The business was started by my brother, Robert Yannayon, and his wife Karen.

Coffee was a well-loved hobby in our home for as far back as I can remember. My siblings and I frequently traveled and loved nothing more than returning home with a bag of freshly roasted beans for the rest of the family to experience. A hobby was what it was and nothing more for years as we worked with our dad’s construction business in Belvidere, while dreams of a coffee business began to grow in my heart. The what-ifs piled high, and we eventually leaped. Our journey began in the fall of 2018 in what is now affectionately known as “the little white truck”. This would also become the year I met and fell in love with Chuck Rogers. We were married two years later.

The truck’s build-out, purchased as nothing but an empty 7’x11’ shell of hopes and dreams, stretched until June of 2019 when we officially opened for business. The response of our small hometown was overwhelming in the best way. We quickly acquired a loyal following and would soon have a string of customers waiting before we even opened our windows on those humid farmer’s market mornings. I softly smile when I remember those early days and the tug they’ll always pose on my heart. The exhaustion, the sleepless nights, the never-ending to-do list. We pushed harder than one would’ve thought possible to meet the demand those first few months.

It wasn’t long before the obvious growing pains brought us to capacity and we began to consider expansion. To the concern of some, we signed a lease on a historic building in downtown Winchester in the summer of 2020 – amidst uncertainty and quarantine. We transformed the space into our own over the next several months before reopening in May 2021.

We held onto the truck for the first little while before determining we no longer had the time it deserved left to spare. It has since been sold to a sweet family from Pennsylvania, where it is still living its best life as a mobile coffee bar.

Today, we are thriving in downtown Winchester as the community around us continues to grow. We are reaching new customers daily while maintaining relationships with long-time return customers who have gifted us with their business since the truck days. We are eternally grateful for all of those who have supported this endeavor, and so fulfilled by the opportunity to share our passion.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been anything but easy. The service industry can often look like long, exhausting hours with little to no return.

Supply issues, staffing, training, inflation – there’s always something to think about and often, you find yourself wondering how you’ll muddle through the next season. But even then, I can safely say the reward will always outweigh the struggles at the end of the day. We are so grateful for our core staff who keep the wheels turning.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The heartbeat of Walnut Hill Coffee Company is for the community. We strive to capture the essence of all that is good to create a welcoming, eclectic atmosphere where friends and family can gather. Walnut Hill is nothing if not adamant about excellence and quality. Each coffee syrup and seasonal beverage is handcrafted in-house with fresh, wholesome ingredients to compliment our scratch kitchen offerings.

We specialize in a thoughtfully curated menu, from our Texas-inspired breakfast tacos to our signature Campfire Latte. Our goal is to consistently serve quality products, without compromise. I am proud of the difference stamped on our brand by small touches that take coffee from good to great as well as our focus on handcrafted works of art as opposed to speed alone.

Of course, we do our very best to get through our lines promptly, but will always choose consistent goodness. We are simply passionate about coffee culture and bringing the very best we are capable of.

Who else deserves credit for your story?
We are blessed beyond measure to have been supported so well on this journey. Our family and friends have shown up at every turn to cheer us on. My dad had more pride in his pinky finger than some people know in a lifetime. He loudly cheered his kids on from the starting line, sometimes even embarrassingly so.

Unexpectedly and all too soon, he passed in the early fall of 2020. Our hearts were broken that he was no longer here to see our dreams expand into our downtown location. A businessman himself, he was always there to lend an encouraging word or fifty during the hard times and rejoice with us in the good. My mom also never failed to busy herself in any way possible to help out during the hectic early days of Walnut Hill, making us a true family endeavor.

Sarah Lapp, our current general manager, has been with us from the beginning and has played an enormous role in our growth and success.

Acelynn Dykes, an OG little white truck barista who kept our spirits up through each high and low.

Susanna Miller, the kitchen “mom” and teammate baked her heart out to provide delicious scones, cookies, pastries, cakes, and bread for the first few years.

Katrina Zeiset, our previous kitchen manager came to us as a young girl looking for a place to blend in and ended up stepping into a much bigger role as time went on.

And the rest of our team, though ever-changing, who carries the daily load – not a day goes by that we don’t see the hard work and dedication to maintaining a healthy work environment that is fun and safe for all. We are so grateful for each one.

Contact Info:

• Website: walnuthillcoffeeco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/walnuthillcoffeeco
• Facebook: facebook.com/walnuthillcoffeeco 

Image Credits
Anna Elizabeth Photography