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Owner Micah Pease prepares a tasty cake batter latte for a thirsty customer inside her coffee trailer on Wednesday afternoon.
CELINA - A local couple are two busy bees, especially these days since launching a coffee trailer less than a month ago.
Micah and Derek Pease own and operate the Hive Coffee Co., a mobile coffee business that emphasizes local vendors and simple ingredients. This summer, the trailer will be stationed along Boardwalk Village from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday-Monday, delivering drinks that are sweeter than honey.
The trailer, which Derek revamped into a functional coffee bar, was the old St. Marys Booster Club trailer. The process, which has been unnervingly smooth, the couple said, has showcased both the business's love for the community and the community's open arms.
Micah is a stay-at-home mom, and when she told Derek of her interest in the venture, he fully supported her.
"I have to give credit to my husband because I couldn't have done this without him," Micah said, becoming emotional. "I stayed home with my kids … and just wanted to do something (that would) impact the community positively. He was all in. No questions asked, full tilt, let's do it. Without that kind of support, I never would have been able to do this."
The couple is devoted to holistic living and wanted to give customers healthy options that don't lack quality.
The Hive Coffee Co. offers specialty drinks like this cake batter latte made of espresso, birthday cake syrup, milk, and fresh, homemade vanilla bean cold foam topped with dye-free sprinkles.
Depending on the specials available, they prepare homemade syrups. For example, the cake batter latte, which is inspired by the viral Dot Cake trend, has espresso, birthday cake syrup, milk, and fresh, homemade vanilla bean cold foam topped with dye-free sprinkles.
The latte flavor was recommended by a customer, and is currently on the menu as a special for a limited time.
The trailer also offers lattes, hot and iced coffee, cold brew, chai, matcha and lemonade. Micah's favorite drink is "the hive," which has creamed honey and cinnamon with vanilla bean cold foam. Derek's favorites are black coffee or a hot caramel macchiato.
The business carries Holy Kakow, an organic and gluten-free syrup company. That is the only "major" business the company works with, as it prioritizes local vendors.
For example, Hive offers sourdough pastries from Grain of Love, of Rockford, and Countryside Sourdough Co, of Minster, as well as allergy-friendly treats from Across State Lines Bakery, of Lima. The beans are from Steadfast Coffee Roasters, of Celina, and Alicia Welker with WrenWay Creations painted the trailer. The company is also looking into partnering with a company that offers dog treats.
Sourcing local products is sometimes a trade-off, but in this case it works.
"Sometimes that's not the most profitable thing, but I think you can taste the quality in the drinks. We're willing to eat some of that to support the people around us, just like they do for us, too."
The coffee beans are sourced locally from Steadfast Coffee Roasters out of Celina.
The trailer opened May 16 and the couple wasn't sure how it would go.
"That first weekend, I really didn't know if people would come," Micah said. "Whether we get people or not, we tried and the opportunity is there. The turnout was amazing."
Since then, the vendors have been welcoming and the customers have always been friendly and supportive, a theme so important to the couple that they based the business name around it.
The name "hive" represents what bees have: teamwork and camaraderie.
"We just wanted to bring something to the community where people could get together," Micah said. "Everything we can source locally, we do, just because I want to build that community of makers and creators (who) have the same beliefs as us. A beehive kind of does that - they all work together. They all have to work as a team just to survive the winter."
The Hive is owned and operated by couple Micah and Derek Pease.
Micah and Derek started dating when they were freshmen in high school. They also both served six years in the Air Force. Derek served at the 180th Fighter Wing with the Ohio National Guard in Toledo, and Micah was a medic at the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus.
With four children to raise, this new chapter is just the latest test for them.
"With everything, there's a learning curve," Micah said. "We weren't trained baristas or anything before we started this, so there was a lot of research that went into it, a lot of time. We have four kids, so we were dividing our time between this and everything else, but it's been amazing."
"The customers are great," Derek said of the experience, which he said has exceeded expectations. "The process was stressful but it was also worth it. It was hard, but at the end of it, it's working, this thing."
The couple reiterated they wanted to lead by example for their children. They wanted to show them working toward your dream pays off.
"I just want them to see that we've done something," Micah said. We had a dream, we went for it, and successful or not, we put our whole hearts into it. They have helped us through the whole process, our kids. I just want them to know that this is an option for them. Whatever dream they have, they can do it."
