Copper Rock Coffee Company (more commonly referred to as just Copper Rock) was my main high school hit-up for studying, reading and weekend get-togethers with friends. Although it was the first coffee shop I ever tried on the Avenue, I never knew how rich the history of my little hotspot was. That changed when I had the chance last Friday to meet with Emily Heiges at the College Avenue location (the first of the two Copper Rocks) who, along with her husband, founded the shop.
The early 2000’s was when Heiges recalls coffeeshops beginning to establish itself as commonplace in the American life. Fresh out of college back in 2003, Heiges and her husband decided they wanted to take a chance in this growing industry. Heiges, originally from Manitowoc, WI (about an hour east of Lawrence), thought that her hometown was too small to keep their shop supported. Growing up, she had always considered Appleton the “big city,” so the two began looking for places to set up around the area, more to the scale that they were looking for. Drawn to the brickwork and high ceilings of the lot, the couple eventually chose College Ave as their location and established the shop there on April 3, 2003 (the shop will be turning twenty next year!).
The name ‘Copper Rock’ came from the name of the ski hill that her husband worked at when he lived in Colorado; Copper Mountain. Out of all the names they had dreamed up, ‘Copper Rock’ was the one that Heiges told me “just stuck.” Even today, visitors can see that little piece of history in the company’s logo.
The two began by renting the right side of the current shop. The left side came to be later in the Copper Rock journey when the business had begun to grow in popularity. Five years ago, Heiges and her husband bought the building, even renting out a tenant space upstairs. They even opened another location on the north side of Appleton, extending the cozy Copper Rock atmosphere to the other side of town.
Copper Rock’s interior design was completed by the couple, including the abstract paintings hung up on the brick walls and the earthy colored seating arrangements. Even the elegant mahogany ceiling was done by Heiges’ husband and her brother. Heiges mentioned many times how much the two loved the “old” aesthetic of it.
The shop has the choice of many kinds of coffee—it’s s in the name, after all! From cold brews to hot coffee confections (all locally sourced), Copper Rock specializes in all things espresso. Personally, I am not much of a coffee drinker, but the selection of tea is one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back. The handwritten tea menu sports various flavors and categories, from uncaffinated herbal all the way to the black blends with the power to perk someone right up. Beyond tea, the shop also has choices of smoothies and chilled bottled drinks.
The perfect complement to a house-made drink is something fresh to eat, and Copper Rock in no way falls short of that; to me, choosing between so many delicious bakery items is the only difficult part about going there! The shop has baked goods galore lined up in their display cases. This is far from where the choice of dessert stops, however. The gelato and cookie dough are both crafted in-house, adding to the already wide variety of treats available to visitors. Copper Rock takes its selection of food one step further in offering soups, salads and sandwiches to its guests, making any time of day the right time to grab a bite there.
Between the two founders, there are seven siblings, and each one of them has worked at Copper Rock at one point or another (and one of them still does! Isn’t that a fun fact?). Nowadays, the customer-oriented staff is much bigger than it was in the beginning. Even through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, each member was still enthusiastic to work to keep the coffee shop’s doors open to the community even through times of uncertainty (the strong bond between owner and employee became clear when Heiges told me that even through unprecedented times, she worked to keep her staff behind the counter). Heiges emphasized twice how “blessed” she felt to have such a wonderful team working with her.
Community connection on the other side of the counter is just as important to Heiges. She said that she wants every person who comes into Copper Rock to feel welcome no matter what they are there for. Daily, she noted, the shop invites students, families, businesspeople and friends into the store. She aims to bring community and barista together on a deep level, creating a space where a guest is seen for the person they are. To make each guest feel comfortable in every aspect of their visit no matter their reason for coming is her ultimate mission.
Community connection extends to Lawrence, of course! With the presentation of a valid ID, students can enjoy an extra ten percent off their order.
Over a cup of blueberry rooibos tea, the Copper Rock experience proved once again to create the atmosphere that Heiges strives to create. A space to unwind for you, too, is just a short walk down the Avenue away.