Looking for A New Groove?

Welcome to Groove Coffee! Located at 1800 N. Locust Grove Road Meridian, ID 83646. Groove Coffee is one of Meridian’s independent coffee shops under new ownership with Elizabeth Hoeper.

When asked about why she bought the coffee shop Elizabeth said with joy, “I am created to be with people and for me I am living my dream. The coffee shop is simply an extension of who I am." Asking about the coffee shop's name she said thoughtfully, "Groove can mean like a rhythm to life. There’s an ease to the experience here. It’s peaceful and there’s a (meaningful) calmness.”

When asked about Groove’s commitment to customer service Elizabeth shared, “We want to be excellent in what we do and show each customer how much we care.” Pausing to take a quick breath and gather her thoughts she smiled and said leaning toward me, “We can bless people and show them God’s love and offer a cup of coffee, isn't that great?!”

She continued about Groove’s customer service, “With the head down generation a simple smile can change a person’s day and good coffee and real community” is what they strive to create. It seems to be working, because the shop was packed during the interview.

Long Bottom Roasters out of Portland, OR roasts their beans and Elizabeth’s favorite coffee from their repertoire, “sometimes a plain latte and it usually depends on my mood.”

With coffee shops an extension of encouraging others, hospitality becomes an open door where people are loved for who they are, just as they are, and especially as coffee shops continue to find a new ways to smoothly connect with customers.

Welcome to Groove Coffee where you are sure to connect with a soulful cup of joe.

Tom Lobaugh

Inspiration Consultant

Want a Great HandCrafted Cup of Coffee?

Welcome to the Coffee Studio! One of the Treasure Valley’s independent coffee shops that opened in August 2012. It is located at 6360 N. Saguaro Hills, Meridian, ID 83646.

We asked owner Lyndsey Hopkins why she launched the Coffee Studio and why she loves what she does. She said with great enthusiasm and joyful smile, “Every car is a different story!” That is a testament to the value they put on customer service which she says must be, “110% connecting with the customer beyond coffee.” Lyndsey is creating a coffee studio where customers experience, “a home away from home, someplace where you need to get away, to get stuff done or not get stuff done, someplace that is comfortable, clean, happy, bright, positive, and pleasing.”

Lyndsey and her staff make it a point to listen for the stories that are part of each order at the drive through or front counter and then getting to work like a baristartists and hand crafting each drink as if it were a specialty order. Eighty percent of the return customers are recognized with little details of their life story and as Lyndsey says, “It all starts with a cup of coffee.” One of the great moments of the interview was Lyndsey thinking through what it has taken to be at the place where the Coffee Studio is, what they are trying to accomplish, where they are headed, while acknowledging a couple of the customers she knew with a wave and smile. For a moment everything appeared to come into clear focus and she said with a confident aha, “You know, we offer … a cup of peace.”

A teacher and coach with a passion for connecting with people, Lyndsey says about her ‘best staff you could ask for,’ “A team that develops together well, works (and plays) well together.” One of the bold colors of this studio is the enjoyment of hiring employees without any experience, who are passionate about life and show dedication (to almost anything). Lyndsey spends two weeks training them on how to be a barista and three months on the language and passion of excellent customer service. “Teaching them how to talk to people, using positive engaging words, and inspiring employees to just love people,” is a hallmark of this coffee house. Lyndsey says, “To sell something you have to like it,” and to that end she is committed to sharing her knowledge and wonder of coffee to her employees, vendors, customers, and interviewers. Coffee Studio, like many independent coffee shops in the Treasure Valley, create their own amazing blends based on customer input and satisfaction and a refined imagination.

About the Coffee Studio’s future, she said with entrepreneurial focus leaning into the entrepreneur’s obsessive story line of, ‘what’s next,’ “We are giving this everything we have for the next ten years and open two more stores.”

Welcome to the Coffee Studio where you are sure to be given a little peace and enjoy a handcrafted cup of joe.

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Coffee Nut

Three Action Steps to Entrepreneurial Excellence

Everyone needs a little inspiration to keep their spirit up while they are working toward achieving their goals and success in life.

Moving toward this new entrepreneurial life there was an ongoing concern and struggle of leaving the old ways behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. That strange middle something of uncertainty nagging, “Did you make the right decision?” One morning in-between meetings with clients at Rembrandts Coffee House, I went across the street to see the Full Circle Exchange and soak in a little inspiration and serendipitously ran into owner and entrepreneur Mark Priddy talking with management. Hoping to speak with Mark for sometime these last few months this was a great opportunity, as he is always on the move and rarely in one place for very long. Taking advantage of this moment we spoke briefly and at a Mark Priddy pace.

Holding the door toward Eagle Road, he asked if we could get back to the coffee house and talk on the way because there was something important needing his attention at Rembrandts. Shaking my head yes, he carefully darted down the stairs and onto the sidewalk and began peering into on coming traffic waiting, creating, and hoping for a break. It did not come. We both sighed at the amount of traffic and wondered how safe this idea was. It was frustrating to both of us to be stuck. Committed to getting across the street, and holding out arms to safely communicate that we did not want to play dodge car, I stopped the cars so Mark could get into the middle of the street (he looked at the drivers who waited for us and said thank you). Stopping the traffic coming the other way we made it to the coffee house sidewalk with a comforted “whew.” Mark turned around and waving subtly he thanked two of other drivers and then thanked me.

ONE Cultivate a Teachable Spirit: The key to entrepreneurial excellence is a willingness to be malleable and learning, learning, learning from mistakes and from successes and trying new approaches and learning again. Entrepreneurs who are open to realizing what is working and what is not working, humble to understand knowledge is a gift of empowerment that comes from many people and from the most unique places, never tire of figuring out what needs to be done to move through life's traffic in the midst of your progress or vision.

TWO Stop Thinking and Start Acting: Thinking is a dead weight for entrepreneurial excellence and too much of it will sink action in a second. Mark peering into traffic and carefully taking a first step put thoughts into action and generated activity toward our goal.

THREE Open Doors with Gratitude: Open doors for clients or team members, literally and figuratively, into the direction you are headed and say thank you a lot. The action of opening doors for others is a gift of hospitality and an open door toward the mission or goal of the organization inspires others to come along side you. This simple action creates an grateful understanding of everyone around you and is a natural encouragement.

The first three steps are the most important strides in any athlete’s competition and utilizing these actions gives your entrepreneurial spirit an excellent advantage.

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Inspiration Consultant

Mug Shots

Relax and sip on a little conversation for the day.​