‘Encouraging’ start
New Arbor Coffee House owner reflects on past year
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Long before Aaron Burdick was crafting the perfect brew and greeting community members, he was learning the ropes in a green apron.
As a native of Warren County, Burdick grew up in Scandia and graduated from Eisenhower High School in 2006, and his deep roots in the community shine through in the warm welcoming atmosphere he brings to the Arbor Coffee House and the community.
After meeting his wife, Salysa, while working in the coffee house while it was known as The Fresh Cup, the couple attended college together at Indiana Wesleyan and a move to South Carolina followed. While there, Burdick found himself working at a Starbucks which became a launching point for his interest in seeing the whole operation for a coffee shop on a bigger scale.
After working at Starbucks for a number of years as a manager, Burdick moved his young family back to the area three years ago. When his wife went to work full time, the switch was made for him to stay home to raise the children.
Leaving the corporate world behind, Burdick was happy to take on a new role to care for his two young children. When that opportunity presented itself, he said, "I would never regret that, taking that risk and spending more time with my children. It was scary. It was the most challenging thing I have ever done, to consider leaving my long term career with Starbucks."
Once thinking that his secure position with Starbucks was a life long career through retirement,
Burdick set out to discover what was next. Wanting to stay away from working in a corporate setting,the opportunity to step in as owner of the Arbor Coffee House presented itself when the former owner, Jennifer Phillips, reached out to him. Not wanting to see the shop close, or anything happen to it, Burdick and his wife entertained the idea and eventually bought and made the seamless transition without any interruption to customers. Nowadays, he spends his time split between caring for his children at home and his newly owned coffee shop.
Coming upon a year of ownership, Burdick reflected on building on a great foundation. Not wanting to reinvent something that the community already loved, Burdick's goal was to preserve what the previous owners built over nine years while thoughtfully improving the experience for employees, customers and the community.
Priorities include investment in the staff as well as community involvement. Burdick believes that taking care of employees ultimately results in taking better care of customers. The continuance of building a workplace where employees are trusted, appreciated and are encouraged to grow is important. Many positive changes were embraced and Burdick finds it fortunate to have employees who genuinely care about creating a welcoming experience for every customer. The focus on making The Arbor Coffee House a more convenient and comfortable experience while being intentionally engaged with other businesses, Burdick holds the passion to help other local businesses succeed alongside them.
"The growth has been encouraging and humbling. It's great to be at the center of the downtown business," Burdick commented.
Local artisans have established partnerships with Burdick and have expanded to include maple syrup, sourdough bread, mugs, books, notecards, hats, flowers and candles. Burdick is open to working with more artisans in the area to sell items in the shop, giving customers a way to discover products made here in the region while supporting small businesses.
Whether it's showing up to offer free coffee to local businesses, hosting live musicians, or game night, the coffee house has hosted a number of events including local author book signings, student field trips to learn about small business, monthly performances with musicians from the Warren Music Conservatory, and more. Genuinely showing up as people who are interested in being involved in the community and partnering with people, Burdick pointed out how historically, coffee shops have been gathering places and his hope is to continue serving that role in Warren.
Traditions continue to be a treasure such as Fat Tuesday, Arbor Day, and St. Patrick's Day. The tenth anniversary of the shop is coming up this fall where customers can enjoy the annual free cider and donuts.
In addition, several new traditions have been created that included fundraisers for the Warren General Hospital Cancer Center as well as allowing a local student to hold a gingerbread making party, choosing a local nonprofit to donate to. A new annual tradition added at Christmastime is the "Giving Table." Private parties and catering are available as well.
Honored to receive Best of the Best awards for the coffee shop as well as for a Warren business, Burdick said that those awards belong to the employees and customers equally alongside the business. July marked the first year for ownership, full of success. Looking ahead with excitement for the upcoming year, he mentioned there will be additional community events and several new projects to look forward to.
Burdick said, "It has been a successful year with unprecedented growth. Much more than ever before in the history of the shop. It's super encouraging to see that people really did want us here. People were genuinely welcoming and supportive to the business through the transition. It's going well."
His hope remains simple: to continue to build a shop that serves exceptional coffee and food, supports local businesses, invests in its employees, creates meaningful traditions and remains a place where the Warren community feels at home. The family could not have known some 20 years ago just how much this place would shape their lives.
The shop is located at 340 Pennsylvania Ave. W. in downtown. Business continues to grow, creating a need for more team members. Baristas and kitchen staff who bring a positive attitude and a love for community connection should inquire via the Arbor House Facebook page or www.arborcoffeehouse.com