R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press At Express Coffee, barista Caydence Carter hands a Lotus to regular customer Kay Lockhart, who has an Express Coffee decal sticker on her vehicle window.

EDITOR NOTE: The Daily Press will be featuring a series of articles on local businesses, highlighting their history and what makes them unique. The series will run on a regular basis in the Daily Press.

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ESCANABA — Six years have passed since Jenah Murray and her husband Jeremy bought Express Coffee at 2428 Ludington Street. Though right near the intersection of Escanaba’s two main streets, the tiny building on a little slip of grass between two drive-though lanes is easy to miss. But customers who come for the bagels, lattes, and Lotus drinks become devoted followers, said Jenah, and the appreciation is reciprocal.

Murray said she was a regular customer hooked on the bagels the previous owner Nancy Murray (no relation) had brought to Express Coffee, and when it went up for sale, she pounced. The shop had seen a few owners prior, but it was Nancy who first introduced food, Jenah said. The bagel supplier is in Menominee — formerly Wildflower Cafe, it is now called The Bagel Shoppe & Cafe.

Jenah has expanded Express Coffee’s offerings to include even more food and drinks, and she isn’t finished. “My goal is always to have a next step. We do want to bring more food items in.” She said she spends a lot of time looking into new products to give customers options and variety, and she is grateful of the support she sees with every change.

There is no question that the business has grown from the little coffee hut that Tim Moore and Jamie Segorski built close to two decades ago. Express Coffee now makes breakfast and lunch sandwiches, flavors for espresso drinks have grown, and a handful of snacks are on the menu, too.

“A popular item at our shop is when we get surprise sugar cookie pop-ups from an amazing baker in Powers, June, who has become like family to us,” said Murray.

Many of their products support other local businesses: The newly embraced freeze-dried candy is made by long-term customer; Blue 6 Laser Engraving makes their travel cups; hats and shirts come from SignUP Graphics right next door.

“It’s a lot of work with three kids and managing all of this, and my husband travels around so he’s not always home, but I’ve got good workers.”

In addition to managing operations, Jenah also works as a barista alongside her staff of six other baristas — all women, young and old –and relies on the team to keep the business running smoothly. The limited space means they can only stock so much at a time, so employees have to keep on top of monitoring the supply levels and keeping Jenah informed.

“It takes a village,” she said. “A village of women.” In March, WZMQ reporter Lily Simmons visited Express Coffee for a “Female Business Spotlight” in honor of Women’s History Month.

April 2022 marked the introduction of the product that Jenah said was “one of the best decisions.” Advertised by the colorful feather-shaped banner at the roadside, Lotus drinks are popular all year. The concoction, made from a “plant-based energy concentrate,” comes in a variety of flavors. It’s always served cold, either frozen or over ice. “They’re fruity, so you would think it would taper off in the winter, but –” Murray shook her head.

“Lotuses are really fun to layer with different colors, so we did a Northern Lights one.” Jenah reported that it was a hit, and in the lead-up to the recent music festival, she got a call from Sheila Krueger at the Chamber of Commerce ordering a whole bunch of Northern Lights Lotuses.

Express Coffee handles some large orders for businesses and would like to do more. It works best if they get a call ahead of time — the shop regularly staffs two people at a time, so with advance notice on a large order, Jenah can come in to not only prepare everything but also drive to make the delivery herself. First Bank in Gladstone places bulk orders monthly, always with a few days’ notice.

They are open to customer suggestions and love interactions, evidenced by the names of two menu items — one albeit informal. One customer, a regular since before the Murrays even bought the shop, was Jean Peterson.

“She would send so many people here. They would order a Jean Peterson and we all just knew what that was,” said Jenah.

“Blended spiced chai,” recited Jenah’s niece, Caydence, who works at Express Coffee. “Every Saturday, I knew she was either getting one or she was getting 12,” Caydence said, mixing a drink for a customer at the window.

Jean passed away on Christmas of last year, but the girls said her family from out of town still visits. Murray said she loves the connections she’s formed with people met because of Express Coffee.

There’s a product called “Lo-to-go,” named by a customer, which is like a deconstructed Lotus energy drink. It comes with the concentrate in a sealed bottle, a can of sparkling water, a cup, straw and lid. “I have a girl who lives in Hermansville — she’ll come here and gets seven because she doesn’t come to town every day,” said Jenah.

Some coffee preferences change from season to season — fall is an example of a time of year known to drive interest in certain flavors — but hours at the drive-through cafe do not. Express Coffee is open year-round from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.