How One Cup of Coffee Sparked a Statewide Movement

How One Cup of Coffee Sparked a Statewide Movement

A New Chapter in a Small Kentucky Town

When our four kids grew up and left the nest, Mike and I made a big move from California to Kentucky to be closer to my parents. Mike resigned from his job, planning to help my dad on the farm. But as it turns out, my dad didn’t actually want any help.

So there we were, in a tiny Appalachian town surrounded by rolling hills, beautiful old buildings, and a lot of quiet. We loved it here, but it was impossible not to notice the empty storefronts and the stillness downtown.

The Spark That Started It All

Back in California, we had a small bath and body business known for our colorful handmade soaps and bath bombs. We thought we’d start that up again in Kentucky. But the rules here are different. You can’t sell handmade cosmetics unless they’re made in a licensed commercial kitchen. So we went looking for a space downtown.

When we met with the landlord about a vacant storefront, she said something that changed everything:

“You might want to think about serving coffee while you’re here working. There’s nowhere to get a good cup around here, and I think Vanceburg might like a place.”

Those few words completely changed our trajectory.

How Vanceburg Fell in Love with Coffee

We opened Kangaroo Ridge Coffee, thinking we’d mostly be in the back making bath bombs and maybe serve coffee to whoever wandered in. But Vanceburg didn’t just “like” a coffee shop. It needed one.

The response was overwhelming. What started as a side idea became a community hub. People gathered, conversations started, and slowly, you could feel something waking up downtown.

Breathing Life Back Into Main Street

The truth is, Vanceburg is beautiful, full of history, charm, and heart. But like so many small towns across Kentucky, it’s quiet. Too quiet. Businesses have closed, families have moved away, and the kind of foot traffic that once kept Main Street alive is long gone.

Owning a coffee shop showed me something simple but powerful: nearly every visitor starts their day with coffee. That small daily ritual, stopping for a cup, could be the spark that brings people into small towns again.

The Blue House and a New Beginning

As Kangaroo Ridge Coffee grew, we realized our original plan to make bath bombs “on the side” was no longer possible in that tiny café kitchen. We needed more space, and we didn’t want to leave downtown.

Just down the street stood an old blue house — beautiful but forgotten, like so many buildings in small-town Kentucky. We bought it, and plan to restore it, and gave it a new purpose.

Today, that blue house is becoming our commercial production studio for Kangaroo Ridge Bath & Body and the fulfillment center for The Kentucky Coffee Trail™. It’s where creativity, community, and Kentucky pride all come together under one roof.

From One Cup to a Statewide Movement

That’s where the bigger idea took shape.

What if we could connect independent cafés all across the state, from the hills of Appalachia to the heart of the Bluegrass, and help travelers discover places they might otherwise drive right past? What if each stop on the Trail could help draw visitors into these small towns, where they’d fill up their tanks, grab lunch, browse a local boutique, and make a real economic impact?

That’s how The Kentucky Coffee Trail™ was born.

The Kentucky Coffee Trail™ Is Brewing

This is more than a coffee tour. It’s a rural revitalization project disguised as a caffeine adventure.

The Trail celebrates Kentucky’s independent cafés, coffee roasters, and the creative people behind them. It’s built in partnership with SOAR and in alignment with the Kentucky Department of Tourism, following the state’s official regional tourism framework. Together, we’re working to bring visitors, dollars, and hope into communities that have been overlooked for far too long.

We’re launching this November with 50 founding shops across Kentucky. The first 10,000 printed passports will invite travelers to Sip. Explore. Enjoy Kentucky™, collecting stamps, meeting shop owners, and experiencing the heart of the Commonwealth one cup at a time.

What Comes Next

Because that’s what this is really about: possibility.

It’s about reimagining what small-town Kentucky can be. About proving that grassroots ideas can drive statewide impact. About showing that a simple cup of coffee can connect people, create jobs, and breathe new life into places that matter.

We may have started with one little coffee shop and one blue house in Vanceburg, but the movement brewing now belongs to all of us.

☕️ Sip. Explore. Enjoy Kentucky.
The Kentucky Coffee Trail™ — where every cup tells a story.

Author

Written by Jenni Kaus, founder of The Kentucky Coffee Trail™ and owner of Kangaroo Ridge Coffee in Vanceburg, Kentucky.