By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Kristin Rumelhart stands at the front counter at Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts. The store offers a wide variety of drinks, food and merchandise.
It was March 2017 when Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts opened at 102 W. Main in Panora. Over the past seven-plus years, the business has evolved to meet the needs of its ever-growing customer base.
Owning a coffee and gift shop was never a goal for Kristin Rumelhart. In fact, the Cedar Rapids native took the proverbial “long and winding road” to Crafty’s.
“I attended school at Indian Hills Community College, Iowa State University and Texas Tech. I started in engineering and ended with a degree in horticulture. I love math, science and music,” she says.
During high school, she was a party hostess for the local ice arena, helping with birthday and corporate events, and sometimes fixing the arcade games. While taking college courses, she worked at greenhouses and floral shops.
“One of the floral shop jobs was at a Hy-Vee, and, at one point, they needed additional help in the Chinese department. That was my first experience in foodservice,” she says.
Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts is located on the main floor of this three-story building at 102 W. Main in Panora. Owners Kristin and Ryne Rumelhart live with their daughter Rowan on the top two floors of the building.
In 2011, her boyfriend Ryne Rumelhart moved to Guthrie Center to help his father with Rumelhart Building Company. Kristin moved here soon after.
“We both saw a lot of opportunity in the area,” she says. “In 2011 there were a lot of empty storefronts in both Guthrie Center and Panora. ‘It’s too bad these buildings aren’t rented out,’ turned into, ‘I wonder what we could put in one.’ We went through three or four of the empty buildings before placing an offer on this one.”
The couple chose the three-story building in Panora’s small business district because there was a lot of space and they wanted a decent-sized upstairs to live in. A previous owner had started to demo the two upper levels, so there were no walls or utilities.
The shop level got a dropped ceiling and carpet removed. Stained plywood was put down in about two-thirds of the space. Ryne and his father, Roy, had recently taken a decorative concrete course and wanted to try hand-etching.
“That’s what you see in the front third, the bluish gray ‘stone’ as well as the faux rug. The stencil didn’t stick as expected on the rug, so Ryne ended up hand painting all the scrolls,” Rumelhart says. “In the midst of putting the shop together, we got pregnant, so priorities shifted to creating a living space upstairs.”
Still, coffee and gifts weren’t in the plans.
“We had a couple ideas. One was a country store with bulk bin ingredients, canning supplies and heirloom seeds. Another idea was a health market, sort of a mini version of Whole Foods,” Rumelhart says.
Dorothy Gaffney has worked at Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts for five years. Most weeks, she creates a specialty cake that is sold by the slice. Cakes also can be special ordered and are made entirely from scratch. Here she cuts some frosted pumpkin bars she baked.
One day, when chatting with friends, someone suggested a coffee shop, saying every small town needs one.
“I knew nothing about coffee except for the Folgers Black Label my dad used to drink,” Rumelhart says. “We love learning and hands-on things, so we started investigating. Ryne and I both took some classes. I wasn’t sure how busy we would be, so the merchandise was added mainly to bring people in.”
Over the years, the shop’s food and drink offerings have evolved.
“I didn’t know much about baking and pastries, how much to make, or how long they last. So, to start, a lot of things were purchased ready to bake,” she says. “Our donuts have always come in daily from Bunkers Dunkers, now Dunkers by Matt. We have always made Scotcheroos from scratch.”
Rumelhart says she personally has to be cautious about certain ingredients in food.
“I began taking classes online to learn how to bring fresher ingredients, fewer preservatives and more customization to Crafty’s,” she says. “In 2018, siblings Kali and Robbie Laidley began working for me, and we started making some changes.
“Kali and I experimented and baked different recipes. We put together a recipe book for the cookies, scones, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and bars,” Rumelhart says. “I had purchased a sandwich cooler and a panini press that sat unused because there wasn’t enough help. Robbie fired those things up and began trying out recipes and different ideas we all had.”
More options brought in a more traffic, then 2020 happened.
While coffee and sweet treats is the main focus at Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts, an eclectic mix of merchandise also brings people into the shop. Owner Kristin Rumelhart says she is always looking for new and different items no one else in the area carries.
“During COVID, the ice cream cabinet was added, and we stayed open until 8 p.m. on Fridays. COVID also kickstarted additional cakes and more flavors of treats in the bakery case,” she says.
Dorothy Gaffney has been with Crafty’s for five years.
“Someone requested a lamb-themed cake for Easter, and Dorothy wanted to attempt it. The gentleman loved it and told others about it. Now cakes are a regular feature,” Rumelhart says.
There’s usually one cake every week, available by the slice.
“There are a variety of flavors, but anything with a chocolate base is the most popular,” Rumelhart says. “Cakes can be special ordered and are made entirely from scratch. Gluten-free cakes are a frequent thing, and although not as common, we have a couple options for vegan cake as well.”
Of course, there is a long list of coffee drinks available.
“Our most popular espresso is the caramel macchiato, usually iced. Our pumpkin spice is popular this fall,” she says. “For non-coffee drinkers, fall is perfect for a hot chai latte or an iced chai with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. We also have energy drinks and a Peach Mango Refresher with added White Monster that is popular with the younger crowd.”
Favorite breakfast items are fresh-baked scones.
“I enjoy coming up with new flavor combos, so we put a variety out every morning. For lunch, The One with Bacon Jam is our most popular hot sandwich. We make the bacon jam from scratch and use fresh sliced mozzarella on it,” Rumelhart says. “For cold sandwiches, made-from-scratch chicken salad on a croissant is a customer favorite.”
What about favorite dessert flavors?
“For our ice cream, it’s Bourbon Pecan for adults, Superman for the kids and teens,” she says. “Cake varies with the seasons, but our chocolate is amazing, either as a straightforward Triple Chocolate or The Reeses’ PB Cake.”
Kristin Rumelhart and Patricia Underwood prep specialty drinks at the espresso machine.
“We started with a yellow and brown theme with a lot of mismatched tables and chairs. It worked for a time when someone rented the space to sell their décor and primitives,” Rumelhart says. “In 2022, it got to a point where we were all bumping into each other up front so we planned for a bar area remodel along with a nicer espresso machine.
“I love all the space we have now and the glittery countertops,” she says. “More recent changes have been swapping out a couple of tables for larger ones, and adding lightweight black chairs.”
One design feature that has stood the test of time is the bathroom floor covered with pennies.
“I once read an article about a penny floor in a kitchen. I thought that was so cool and unique, and when we got the building, the largest bathroom was the perfect spot to attempt this project,” Rumelhart says. “I would get 20 rolls of pennies at a time from the local banks. I ended up needing more than I anticipated and lost count how many it took. At the time, the guys were working on the original coffee bar, and I was seven months pregnant with Rowan.”
Merchandise available in the shop also has evolved since the shop opened in 2017.
“I originally tried décor items and signs, but I struggled with displaying those,” she says. “Some things wear out their time in the shop, and we try to think of new, different or exciting things that no one else in the area carries.”
One category that’s been popular is puzzles.
“I’m not a puzzle person, but Dorothy’s family enjoys card games and puzzles. When COVID hit, she suggested we look into puzzles because it’s something you can do alone or with others, and when you’re stuck at home. The kid’s puzzles sell the best,” Rumelhart says.
Leanin’ Tree greeting cards sell well, as do holiday offerings.
“Christmas and Father’s Day we sell more Duke Canon soaps, General’s Hot Sauce and sports-themed games. Mother’s Day is usually puzzles, mugs and the snarky ‘Drinks On Me’ coasters,” she says. “Last year, I took a chance on some instruments that have sold well — steel tongue drums and thumb pianos. This year, we’ve added ukuleles to the mix.”
Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts now has six regular staff people. Besides Dorothy Gaffney, who has been with the shop five years, there is Maddy Richey, a two-year veteran, and Hannah Smith, who has worked for Rumelhart a year and a half. Other regulars now are Laicey Richey, Patricia Underwood and Sydney Vogel.
“Over the summer, we usually have about 10 employees. We’ve been grateful for the consistent employees but also for the additional help during the busy times. I’ve had some health issues over the past couple years that have temporarily limited what I can help with,” Rumelhart says. “Everyone gets trained on all stations — barista, baking, lunch. I’m thankful Dorothy is able to do most of the prep and baking now, especially in this season.”
Rumelhart says there has been a lot of interest from customers for the shop to be open more hours.
“This summer, we had enough help to give that a try,” she says. “We don’t have our summer help now, but are able to keep a couple late days still, with Fridays 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
Hours Tuesday through Thursday are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Daily specials and other updates are available on the Crafty’s Coffee and Gifts Facebook page and on Instagram @craftyscoffee.