Annandale’s In Hot Water Coffee and Tea House is taking a step in a new direction. After nearly 17 years, owner Patti VanDorp officially sold the coffee shop and handed over the keys to Megan Champlin and Nikki Seaberg last week.
The new owners plan to drop "Tea House" from the coffee shop’s name, but otherwise intend only a few small changes.
"Nikki and I are honored to be given such an opportunity in such a special community," said Champlin, who is VanDorp’s step-daughter and has worked part-time at the shop since she was 15. "We are so thankful to Patti for her hard work, dedication and love for the coffee shop. We so appreciate Patti for entrusting us with such a treasure."
Seaberg has worked part-time at In Hot Water since April of last year and has enjoyed every minute of it.
"Since working here, In Hot Water has become a second home to me," Seaberg said. "The customers have become like family. Buying the business is a longtime dream come true, made possible by my husband Dan and the Seabergs."
Longtime customer Dawn Schaefer Stumpf said the transition should be fairly seemless.
"I know the girls will continue to keep up the tradition of the coffee shop’s role as a creative hub and loving gathering place in this crazy world," she said. "We all need that safe place to go and know a friend will be there."
‘A creative hub’
Formerly a family home, then a beauty shop, the cozy 625-square foot building became the In Hot Water Coffee and Tea House on May 6, 2000. VanDorp and her daughter, Amy Sparks, were the original owners.
Since the very beginning In Hot Water has been a place where people congregate and ideas percolate.
"As Annandale Community Team and other community groups got going, In Hot Water was the creative hub where ideas were brewed and action was taken," said Schaefer Stumpf. "On days I’d have parenting struggles I’d take a quick lunch at the coffee shop and Patti was always ready to pick me up. … She wasn’t afraid to share her faith, friendship and love."
For some, it was where a new person in town first found friends and began to feel comfortable in Annandale.
"When Peggy Murphy came to town from Canada, she did not know anyone," VanDorp said. "She came into the shop every day and got to know lots of people. Eventually that led to Peggy and others opening the Snooty Fox across the street."
"When I first moved to Annandale In Hot Water was the first place I was comfortable," Seaberg said. "I am so glad to be able to continue the spirit of a warm welcome for others."
It began with an idea
Sparks was inspired to open In Hot Water while she was a student at St. Olaf College. Sparks had worked at several different coffee houses in Northfield, but was drawn to a couple that had bought the Good Blue Monday coffee house.
"They taught me that it was important to invest in community, to be ethical in business, to connect with artists and other small businesses, and to care not only about the consistency and quality of your product but to do the least harm when it came to buying coffee that was organic and sustained the lives of the growers and producers," Sparks said.
She studied the couple’s business model and their actions.
"I observed them connecting with customers, getting to know so many people from so many demographics by name. It didn’t seem to matter your income, your age, your interest – all were welcome."
Sparks began studying everything about coffee, its history, how it was grown, caffeine levels, the roasting processes and brewing methods.
"I researched the best local roasters with ties to farmers who were making a livable wage on organic farms," Sparks said. "Today, 16 years later, the coffee at In Hot Water is still roasted by the original company I painstakingly researched."
Sparks was 22 and living with an art major roommate that was frustrated with not having a place to showcase her artwork. Sparks then decided to include a rotating community art gallery in her future coffee house.
Since In Hot Water opened, there have been very few days when the art of local artists or Annandale students have not been displayed throughout the shop.
"When there is not art hanging in here, it feels odd," Champlin said. "It feels totally empty."
Originally, Sparks had planned to open her coffee shop in Wilmington, North Carolina, with another St. Olaf graduate. But on a visit home to Annandale she noticed a small beauty shop on Cedar Street for sale.
"I was young, inexperienced and had no assets but an old rusty Ford Escort wagon," Sparks said. "I moved in with my mother and started writing what was to become a 50-page business plan. I was a theater major way over my head. Thank goodness I was so young."
A family business
Sparks convinced VanDorp to be her business partner, and her father, Jim Gilmore, purchased the building. About this time Amy started dating Adam Sparks.
"Our romance was made up of measuring and designing the inside of the coffee house," Amy said. "What was once Lori’s Little Shop was completely remodeled with tons of help from my family into In Hot Water."
Some in Annandale doubted that a small coffee house that specialized in organic and fair trade coffee could survive in such a small town.
"I really felt that was narrow thinking," Amy said. "People in small towns want quality too. Fortunately, we were blessed with very loyal and supportive customers."
VanDorp said that time has proven her daughter right.
"One thing that Amy knew, that I didn’t, was that we would get all kinds of people in here from different walks of life and a mixed economic and social status," VanDorp said. "This is probably the only place in Annandale where you can sit down next to someone completely different from yourself, carry on a conversation and become friends."
VanDorp fondly remembers the conversations she has had with many of her regular customers.
"Over the years customers have brought with them joyful news and sometimes sad or tragic news," she said. "I was glad to be there to listen, give them a hug, sometimes laughing with them and other times sharing their sorrow and tears."
Sole owner
After three years of co-owning In Hot Water, Sparks decided to sell her half of the business to her mother, and Gilmore sold the building to VanDorp as well. Sparks was now married with a young child, and her and Adam were planning a second.
"It was very hard for me to juggle a business with my young family, so I made the very hard decision to sell my half of the business," Sparks said. "It was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make because I had put so much of myself into the coffee house."
Sparks said she was excited for Seaberg and Champlin.
"I have no regrets and think it is great that Nikki and Megan to take on this legacy," Amy said. "In fact, Megan was the last barista I trained."
About the new owners
Champlin moved to Annandale to live with her father, Harry VanDorp, and Patti when she was in the fifth grade. She graduated from Annandale High School in 2008.
Daniel Champlin is her husband and they live in Annandale with their four children: Lily, Jackson, Liam and Julianna.
Champlin grew up in the coffee shop, and also gained additional experience working at other coffee shops while going to college.
Seaberg grew up in Anoka and graduated from St. Francis High School. She has lived in Annandale since 2008.
Annandale residents may remember her from the Annandale Farmers Market, where she was one of the earliest vendors. She and her husband, Annandale native Dan, have four sons: Jake, Charlie Henry and Tommy.
Nikki and Dan are partners, along with three other couples, in owning Spilled Grain Brewhouse in Annandale. The Seabergs make their home in rural Annandale.
Maintaining tradition
There will be a few changes, but nothing that longtime customers need to be concerned about.
"Many things are in the works, but we are taking our time to put things in place so everything fits together nicely, flows smoothly and has consistency," Seaberg said.
"We will continue to make house-made baked goods, have an extensive beverage menu with hundreds of customizable options, and begin to offer a wider selection of on-the-go food."
"We are not changing anything that is already made here. We will continue to bake our own cookies and scones from scratch," Champlin said. "We hope to soon begin a wider breakfast and lunch menu for on the go."
Hours will remain the same, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
What will Patti do now?
People have been asking what Patti will be doing now that she has sold the coffee shop. She is trained as a nurse and seems to have lots of options.
"I am going to lounge around for a while, spend time with my grandkids, then probably get a job," VanDorp said. "Don’t know what I want to do, but hopefully something involving people."
Schaefer Stumpf said VanDorp’s career at the coffee shop is greatly appreciated.
"My family is so blessed by the role Patti and In Hot Water has played for us," said Dawn Schaefer Stumpf. "We are so grateful for the all the love, support and coffee shop therapy."