Name: Kimi Nash
City of residence: Estes Park
Occupation: Owner of Kind Coffee, board member of the Estes Nonprofit Network
What do you do in Estes Park?
I’m the business owner of Kind Coffee. I moved to Estes Park from Orange County, Calif., in the spring of 2019. This was the first place I interviewed at, and I was hired on as a barista. I became the general manager and then had the opportunity to purchase the business in April 2023.
What brought you here from California?
Living in Southern California, it’s so fast paced, and I really just needed a change. I went to culinary school, and I used to own a chocolate company. But truly, I just wanted a fresh start. So I relocated out here without a job lined up. That was kind of scary, but it worked out.
Where did the business name, Kind Coffee, come from?
We first want to make sure that the product we’re offering is kind, so we offer organic, fair-trade coffee. We use compostable cups and packaging, and we want to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can for the Earth. Also, we want to make sure that we as a staff is kind, and lastly, that the customers coming in treat us and the space around us with kindness as well.
What you think makes Kind Coffee really special or successful?
My favorite and most special thing to share about Kind Coffee is our staff. The management staff and baristas are truly what makes Kind Coffee special to me, and I’m so proud of our employee retention. Estes Park is a tourist town, so we staff more people in the summer and pare down in the winter, but it works really well because when the staff goes back to college, they keep choosing to come back here.
Do you have a favorite drink on the menu?
On our big menu, the Blueberry Cobbler is a big hit right now. It has blueberry syrup with brown sugar. Our number-one seller is the Alpine Miele. It’s a latte with honey vanilla and cinnamon. And every season, we offer a seasonal menu. Right now, the Purple Haze latte is one of my favorites: It’s a Filipino ube latte with sweet potato syrup.
How do you support local artists and makers?
In the back room, every quarter we feature a local artist. Right now we’re featuring Mallory Cash, and she’ll be here through quarter three. It’s a nice way to keep the art fresh in the back room. Out front, we offer a lot of women-owned local businesses’ retail items, such as jewelry and other little goodies.
In what ways are you involved in the Estes Park community?
I sit on the board for the Estes Nonprofit Network, which is like the Chamber of Commerce for all the nonprofits in the Estes valley. I’m about a year in, and I’m on many committees through the network. It’s really refreshing to be able to stay connected when I’m not here and know that where I’m spending my time is helpful.
Additionally, Kind Coffee is a member of 1% for the Planet, where we donate one percent of our coffee sales to local organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, the Estes Valley Land Trust and Leave No Trace. We’re also part of the Estes Nonprofit Network’s Giving Guest Program, where one percent of our coffee sales goes directly to Estes valley nonprofits.
What do you do in your role with the Estes Nonprofit Network?
I’m on the fundraising committee, and every year we plan an annual fundraiser. Last year, the theme was circus, so that was really fun. We’re going to announce our next theme on National Philanthropy Day, which is in November. We also help create different roles with the staff at the network. They host different classes for the nonprofits to get additional education to better their programs. Kind Coffee hosts the nonprofits’ Sips of Knowledge here at the shop, where different members of nonprofits in the Estes valley are able to come and learn different things. They’ve hosted one for Canva and one for systems of checks and balances.
What do you love most about Estes Park?
When you go outside, everything is so picturesque. It feels surreal to be able to say that I live here, especially just looking out the window. We have some large windows in the front of the shop, and in the winter, it’s like you’re in a snow globe. Fall is definitely my favorite season, especially coming from California, where it’s always summer. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of seeing the leaves change.
If you had a friend or a family member visiting Estes Park for a weekend, what are some things you would take them to go do?
We would definitely come to Kind Coffee first, then we would go into the national park. We’d drive up Old Fall River Road, go over Trail Ridge Road and maybe hike to Bierstadt Lake. For dinner, we would go to Ember, the new restaurant that just opened in town. And then for breakfast, we would go to Notchtop Bakery & Cafe and get the Dragon’s Egg Rock Benedict, which is my favorite. Another great spot is Bird & Jim.
What makes Estes Park a must-see place in the fall?
The town does a really good job of hosting weekend events. It starts with the Pumpkins & Pilsners Festival, which is a fundraiser for the Estes Park Education Foundation. And then there’s the Estes Park Elk Fest, which is all things elk during the rut. For some leaf-peeping tidbits, I would say you definitely have to drive the peak-to-peak highway, go into Nederland and then come back and see it all.
Follow us on Instagram for more NOCO Locals and interview videos! @nocostylemagazine
