4 days ago
Coast Guard veteran serving up coffee, inclusivity in Twin Cities
Twin Cities veteran Michael Kollar is serving up fresh, meticulously roasted coffee at several Dunn Brothers shops he owns.
"I really enjoy roasting, I enjoy giving people a good cup of coffee," Kollar said.
He also strives to make his shops safe and inclusive spaces for the community.
"The coffee's wonderful, and the people are, too," said Lois Schlutter, a customer at Kollar's location in Hopkins, Minnesota.
She says you'll always find a wide range of customers, and "really great conversations."
"No matter when I come in, there's always people sitting, and a lot of times Mike is sitting there chatting," said customer Alexander Tolchinsky.
Kollar says it all comes down to the beans.
"A lot of the customers, when they sip it, they just know that it was made with love and caring, and they appreciate that fact," he said.
Kollar's life in service started long before his coffee career in the U.S. Coast Guard.
"I just was drawn to the fact of saving lives and doing a different mission than defending," he said. "It's still defending the nation, but in a different way."
Years later, Kollar is serving his community again, but in a different way.
"It's more than just a coffee shop," he said.
Schlutter says people are drawn to the inviting environment.
"It's a really wide range of people from different walks of life, and it's fun," she said. "I would say it's welcoming to everybody, and there's really a good sense of community."
One way Kollar cultivates that is through who he hires. Between his four shops, he works with local high schools and uses state funding to hire students and adults with disabilities.
"I believe in giving back. So this is my period of life where I want to make an inclusive, safe place for people to come in and work and make a difference," he said.
Brewing coffee, and opportunity, in every cup.
"It's a time to give back and it's time to make a difference. You know, there's so many people that don't have a voice, that are left behind in the society that needs a voice, that needs a place to come in and feel safe," he said.
Kollar owns and roasts at four different Dunn Brothers Coffee shops: Excelsior, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Savage.
