A Place For
Coffee & Gathering
About Us
When Brenda Hostetler-Kauffman moved from Oregon to Indiana to attend Goshen College in 1992, there were two things which she missed: mountains and coffeehouses. After graduating in 1995 and realizing that the mountains just wouldn’t be moving, she and husband Tony Kauffman began the adventure of a lifetime and built Goshen’s original coffeehouse.
The original site was to be in a small space which had formerly been used to repair shoes for over 50 years. The store’s sign was a large boot surrounded by light bulbs and affectionately called “The Electric Shoe.” A friend of the Kauffman’s and Goshen resident, Rachel Lapp, suggested that the two call the cozy coffeehouse “The Electric Brew.” They knew immediately that her suggestion was a perfect fit.
As work progressed on the initial snug structure, it became clear that the little store on Washington might not prove adequate for hosting performances or significantly-sized groups. When another space became available, it was an obvious choice to move their dream coffeehouse, even though it still hadn’t opened. Many months of labor went into making the new location for the Electric Brew what it is today.
On the 4th day of April 1996, the doors to the first coffeehouse in Elkhart County were opened to the public at last and the real adventure finally began. The store’s offerings were initially small with gourmet coffees, espresso drinks, and a small selection of baked goods. However, the choices quickly grew and now include a lunch menu, blended drinks, and a melange of bakery items.
On May 1, 2007, Brenda and Tony sold The Electric Brew to a local couple with the vision to continue the adventure of Goshen’s Original Coffeehouse. With minimal changes, Myron & Dana Bontrager took over ownership and continue offering quality drinks and food in an atmosphere that makes you want to settle in and stay a while.
In August of 2008, The Electric Brew began roasting our own coffee. We value a robust cup of coffee, so what better way to achieve that than to do our own roasting? In September of 2008, we were approved as a Fair Trade Certified coffeehouse, meaning we can assure our customers that our coffee is Fair Trade. We believe that the coffee producer should be paid a fair trade for his or her product.
Over the next number of years we looked for coffees with stories including women owners/producers, a long time family owned farm, and an amazing co-op from Mexico. Knowing the story behind the coffee makes the coffee taste so much better. We care just as much about the producers of our quality coffee as we do about those who drink it.
About Us
When Brenda Hostetler-Kauffman moved from Oregon to Indiana to attend Goshen College in 1992, there were two things which she missed: mountains and coffeehouses. After graduating in 1995 and realizing that the mountains just wouldn’t be moving, she and husband Tony Kauffman began the adventure of a lifetime and built Goshen’s original coffeehouse.
The original site was to be in a small space which had formerly been used to repair shoes for over 50 years. The store’s sign was a large boot surrounded by light bulbs and affectionately called “The Electric Shoe.” A friend of the Kauffman’s and Goshen resident, Rachel Lapp, suggested that the two call the cozy coffeehouse “The Electric Brew.” They knew immediately that her suggestion was a perfect fit.
As work progressed on the initial snug structure, it became clear that the little store on Washington might not prove adequate for hosting performances or significantly-sized groups. When another space became available, it was an obvious choice to move their dream coffeehouse, even though it still hadn’t opened. Many months of labor went into making the new location for the Electric Brew what it is today.
On the 4th day of April 1996, the doors to the first coffeehouse in Elkhart County were opened to the public at last and the real adventure finally began. The store’s offerings were initially small with gourmet coffees, espresso drinks, and a small selection of baked goods. However, the choices quickly grew and now include a lunch menu, blended drinks, and a melange of bakery items.
On May 1, 2007, Brenda and Tony sold The Electric Brew to a local couple with the vision to continue the adventure of Goshen’s Original Coffeehouse. With minimal changes, Myron & Dana Bontrager took over ownership and continue offering quality drinks and food in an atmosphere that makes you want to settle in and stay a while.
In August of 2008, The Electric Brew began roasting our own coffee. We value a robust cup of coffee, so what better way to achieve that than to do our own roasting? In September of 2008, we were approved as a Fair Trade Certified coffeehouse, meaning we can assure our customers that our coffee is Fair Trade. We believe that the coffee producer should be paid a fair trade for his or her product.
Over the next number of years we looked for coffees with stories including women owners/producers, a long time family owned farm, and an amazing co-op from Mexico. Knowing the story behind the coffee makes the coffee taste so much better. We care just as much about the producers of our quality coffee as we do about those who drink it.
Coffee Stories
We have always been proud of our coffee (we roast it here in-house), and we cherish the relationships that we have cultivated with our growers and suppliers over the years.
Café Justo Cooperative – Mexico
Café Justo’s mission is to deliver the highest quality, organic, and environmentally conscious coffee at a price that is fair and just. We work to create a bond between the members of the coffee growing community and our customers throughout the world. The financial benefits of Café Justo are significant when compared to Fair Trade coffee. Each coffee purchase has a direct and dramatic effect on this community. The cooperative members and community put aside their differences to provide an excellent, chemical free, environmentally friendly product and business that focuses on JUST relationships!
Mexico, Café Justo CooperativeMayogi Co-op – Rwanda
(Female Owned & Operated)
Founded in 2010, the Mayogi Co-op is located in Gicumbi District of the Northern Province of Rwanda. They have an ideal climate for strong flowering, leading to highly productive trees. For many years, the cooperative was comprised of only 108 farmers. Then, in 2017, 270 women graduates of Sustainable Growers training program joined the cooperative. In 2018, they placed second in the Rwanda Cup of Excellence. They received a Presidential Award and were recognized as a top-quality producer at Let’s Talk Coffee 2018 during a cupping of exceptional offerings from around the world.
Rwanda, Mayogi Co-opManos De Mujeres – Guatemala
(Female Owned & Operated)
ACODIHUE was founded in 1996 in Huehuetenango in western Guatemala. 80% of ACODIHUE’s coffee is grown by indigenous women producers. ACODIHUE is focused on supporting the next generation of coffee growers and has implemented a generational advocacy initiative to support and promote the inheritance of farms by the children of coffee farmers. Youth participate in key training events covering organic production, agronomic best practices, post-harvest management, marketing, and sales. The hallmarks of ACODIHUE’s coffees are exceptional balance and sweetness, deep caramelized sugars and milk chocolate form the backbones of these coffees, accented by sweet floral notes on the nose. As the coffee cools, the rich sweetness is tempered by a dried fruit acidity, reminiscent of dried currants dipped in chocolate.
Guatemala, Manos De MujeresKokowagayo – Sumatra
(Female Owned & Operated)
The vision and mission of KOKOWAGYO (Gayo Women Coffee Cooperative) is to produce high quality coffee beans for customer satisfaction. Their long term commitment is to develop and make better conditions for women on coffee farms. They have also developed a harmonic relationship to trade directly with buyers.
Sumatra, KokowagayoCoocentral’s Mujeres Cafeteras – Colombia
(Female Owned & Operated)
This program started from an initiative to teach and empower women coffee through training. “Before we had the women’s initiative, we were housewives who didn’t leave the house. We weren’t leaders, and usually our husbands managed the farm and production. When the program for women started at Coocentral, we learned about leadership and farm administration. The idea was to give us the tools to tend and manage our own farms. Previously, we picked coffee without knowing the fundamental importance of picking quality cherries. Thanks to the cooperative’s trainings and workshops, we began to understand what mature, overripe, and underripe cherries look like, and knew how to select the ideal ones. We used to process all these cherries together; now we are selective at harvest, and we classify and separate the coffee cherries.”
Colombia, Coocentral’s Mujeres CafeterasJinotega, El Recreo Estate – Nicaragua
(Family Owned)
El Recreo Estate Farm is family owned and has produced premium coffee for over 40 years. The coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified and of the highest quality. They employ 30 permanent families and over 200 temporary workers. Their facilities ensure a high standard of living including a school for kids and a health center for all employees and their families.
Nicaragua, Jinotega, El Recreo Estate