Out of the Storm

Kuhlman's Koffee, 1095 Falcon Crest Court, in Nixa, is a retail and wholesale operation through which the Kuhlmans provide fresh-roasted ground coffee and beans.

Ed Kuhlman, who worked as a marine cargo surveyor and inspector in New Orleans, said that before he came to the Ozarks, he roasted and sold coffee, but only as a part-time venture.

Once the couple determined that they didn't want to return to New Orleans, Ed Kuhlman needed to find work.

“There's no marine work up here, no ships, no barges, nothing like that,” he said.

The Kuhlmans put their New Orleans home on the market, and despite extensive wind and debris damage, they were able to sell it to a family who lost their home entirely to the storm.

“We'll take our chances with the tornados versus the hurricanes that seem to be inevitable every year down there,” he said.

In November, Kuhlman's Koffee began selling wholesale, and in January, the couple moved into a home of their own and opened a retail coffee shop.

The Kuhlmans get their beans from South America, Central America, Asia and Africa.

In addition to espresso blends and gourmet coffees, the company also offers decaffeinated certified organic fair trade coffee.

Debbie Kuhlman works part time as a secretary for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and part time on sales for the coffee company. Ed Kuhlman focuses full time on the roasting venture.

“We started the whole thing up on the few dollars that we had left,” Kuhlman said, noting that the company is supposed to receive $5,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the form of an economic relief loan.

“It's the maximum that you can get from them without having any collateral,” he said.

Luckily, though, Kuhlman's Koffee, a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, didn't require much in the startup financing.

“I salvaged most of my equipment from (New Orleans),” Kuhlman said. “I have a small-batch roaster, an air roaster … so I didn't have a huge startup (expense).”

For the equipment he didn't have, Kuhlman said he contacted people he knew in the industry and searched eBay.

Since relocating to the Ozarks, Kuhlman said he's re-established contact with and sold coffee to about 15 percent of the customers that he had in New Orleans, primarily retail customers who buy one or two pounds of coffee a week.

“A lot of people (there) can't afford it any more,” he said.

Overall, Kuhlman said he's moved about 1,000 pounds of beans since November. Wholesale prices vary according to volume, he said, but the retail price is about $10 a pound, including tax.

Much of the Kuhlmans' focus these days is on saturating the market with their product, and getting the coffee into people's hands - and their cups.

Debbie Kuhlman distributes samples, and Kuhlman's Koffee gets some airtime on Vincent David Jericho's morning talk show on KSGF radio.

They use my coffee, so they talk it up a little bit,” he said.

Also, the company has added some wholesale customers, including Nu Brew Coffeehouse, 300 E. Sunshine.

Also, at Why Cook?, a Nixa business that offers prepared foods that can be taken home and heated, owners Willard and Kathy McIlwain have single-serve packets of Kuhlman's Koffee on display and available for purchase.

Kathy McIlwain said Kuhlman's Koffee has been on display in the business since the Kuhlmans came to Nixa, and a small amount of it has been purchased. “People have started having an interest in it, but it hasn't just taken off or anything,” she said. “Anybody that asks, we tell their story, about how they were in the hurricane and that they had to start from scratch. … It's good coffee and they're just the sweetest people in the world. I wish them all the best.”

Kuhlman's Koffee retail shop is open 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., though Ed Kuhlman is on site early in the mornings to do most of his roasting. The company also has a Web site, www.wakeupjava.com. In addition to an online store and brewing tips, the site also provides a source for whole green coffee beans for hobby and home roasters.