Christmas ornament making available 11/19
Maple Moon Coffee Company, located in The Basement at 50 S. Virginia St. in Reno, is a new, community-focused coffee shop where baristas brew fresh coffee and make creative, handcrafted drinks. It’s a perfect place to sit down, warm up and get into the holiday spirit.
A Little History
Adam Brink purchased Maple Moon in September after spending two years as a barista for one of the biggest coffee shops in the world.
“Owning a coffee shop is something I have wanted to do for a long time,” said Brink.
Long before he opened Maple Moon Coffee Company, Brink was a customer of the previous coffee shop. He remembers thinking it was a “cool spot” in The Basement, and two months later, saw that the shop was for sale and jumped on the opportunity to take over.
What Matters Most
For Brink, community is the most important part of owning a coffee shop, and The Basement is a perfect place for that community focus. With an open dining area shared by three eateries, it is a great shared space for people to come together.
“Coffee brings the community together. When you look around in the morning, you can tell everyone needs their coffee. Coffee is a safety blanket,” said Brink.
Keeping a local focus is also an important part of Brink’s business model.
“I’m a firm believer in supporting other small, local businesses. On top of that, the food quality is much better when you purchase locally, rather than getting it shipped frozen,” said Brink.
All of the food items he sells are supplied from Reno-based businesses, including Sol Baked, Mother of Macros and Freshies. Freshies, which serves bowls and sandos, is located right next to Maple Moon, and provides baked goods.
The coffee brewed at Maple Moon is from Drink Coffee Do Stuff, which is roasted in Truckee, Calif. Drink Coffee Do Stuff is a small, but growing coffee company with shops in Truckee, Incline Village, and South Lake.
These local, small business collaborations are key components of the success of the small business community.
Instagram Worthy
Maple Moon is about more than just the food and drink. It is also about creating a fun customer experience. Maple Moon provides customers with a seasonally decorated “Instagram Wall.” Customers can come in, get their coffee, and take a story-worthy photo in a perfectly lit corner of the shop—no filter needed. The corner is currently decorated with a charming pumpkin patch scene, perfect for pre-Thanksgiving photo ops. The set will switch to a Christmas theme soon.
Barista-Built Menu
The baristas at Maple Moon are closely involved with the creation of the drink menu and they have an opportunity to explore their creativity with drink making and recipe creation.
“We have creative baristas, something not all coffee shops have,” said Brink. “I leave the recipe making up to them. When they have downtime they can create the next new drink. I feel like I am ahead of the game that way,” said Brink.
Some new holiday recipes include a Peppermint Patty Latte, Gingerbread latte and Maple Brown Sugar Cold Brew.
Upcoming Holiday Event
On Saturday November 19, Maple Moon will host a Christmas-ornament-crafting event with two sessions, from 10-12 AM and 2-4 PM. Dena Wiberg will lead the craft activity. Registration is $10 and guests will be provided with all the tools and supplies needed to make their own, personal holiday ornaments.
During the event, each food and beverage purchase will give diners and drinkers an entry into a raffle to win a Maple Moon gift basket, which will have coffee beans, a gift certificate to Maple Moon, as well as other small gifts.
Additionally, and most importantly, all of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Trauma Intervention Program of Northern Nevada (TIP). TIP is an organization of citizen volunteers who provide emotional first aid to survivors of tragedy. To learn more about TIP, click here.
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