Brewed Awakenings Owner Announces Retirement After 14 Years

Kim Kaster, owner of Brewed Awakenings, is retiring after 14 years of building a beloved community coffee shop, leaving a legacy of great coffee and cherished connections.

Congratulations to Brewed Awakenings owner Kim Kaster, who recently announced her retirement on Facebook.

Having just celebrated their 14^th anniversary on March 1, Kim explains in her remarks “these last 14 years have been an amazing journey.  I am so grateful to have achieved all of the dreams for Brewed and more … because of you!  But now it’s time for a new person and perspective to move it forward … As my husband is retired, I am excited to join him in this new phase of life.”  Kim adds “as we search for a new buyer, please be sure that nothing is changing with our day-to-day operations.”

A customer favorite, in 2024 Brewed Awakenings received the Best Local Coffee Shop Award from Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC).  In addition, Kim received the SACC Visionary Award.

Brewed Awakenings has always been more than a coffee shop – it’s a favorite gathering place.  Kim shared her favorite customer experiences at the anniversary open house.  “There is Mark, who was my first customer the day we opened, and who continued to come in for his mocha until he passed away.  There are the Vietnam veterans who come every Wednesday.  There’s the car group that recently celebrated 10 years of meeting here every Saturday.  There is Janet who comes in twice daily. I have developed so many relationships, and watched so many kids grow up and now graduating from college. They are all in my memory and close to my heart.”

Operating a successful business is no small feat, let alone run successfully for 14 years.  Kim talked about her motto to live by when she first opened.  “Honestly, when I opened, it was ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ from Helen Reddy.  But I have learned a lot over the years.  One of the biggest is that mistakes are opportunities.  So my motto now is from Arianna Huffington:   ‘accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.’”

Go ahead; roar, Kim, roar.  Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

Visit Brewed Awakenings www.brewedawakeningscafe.com for more information.