You know those people that maybe you don’t get the opportunity to chat with as much as you’d like, but the moment you’re in the same room, it’s like you haven’t missed a beat and you pick up right where you left off? This week’s coffee ride guest is exactly that to me.
For at least a solid two years of my life, we would have breakfast and coffee together every morning, Monday through Friday. Well, she was actually making sure all of OKC had an incredible breakfast experience, but she never failed to make me feel any less special.
In my opinion, she’s one of the most badass people in the OKC service industry. She’s played a role in developing some of the cities favorite menus, including pushing the vegan offerings to new heights at both The Wedge and Elemental Coffee. She has the uncanny ability to just get things done, from opening a new café location to crushing the parenting game, to taking time out of her day to have a cup of coffee with me.
On this week’s coffee ride, I’m stoked to clink coffee cups with Elena Farrar. Elena is large part of the muscle behind Elemental Coffee. Prior to me high jacking this coffee ride to talk all things parenting, we chatted about navigating COVID19, in’s and out’s of the service industry, and then I tried to steal her from Elemental (not really, but one day), (not really, I love all of them). ;-)
Kick back, grab your favorite cup of coffee, and enjoy a coffee ride with Elena Farrar.
In 2016, Cosmopolitan Magazine named Elemental Coffee’s salted chocolate chip cookie, The Best in Oklahoma. What’s the secret to making the best cookie in Oklahoma?
“When Cosmo called and asked to talk to me, I was like “Hey”, and they were like this is so-and-so from Cosmo magazine. And I just knew this had to be some sort of a joke. They’re like, “you were voted the best chocolate chip cookie in Oklahoma and we’d like to include you in a feature we’re doing including the best cookie in every state.” So, we were the best in Oklahoma but also we were like the only vegan cookie included in the feature. BUT, Chelsea Smith is actually the one that came up with that cookie. She was the person that I brought over with me from The Wedge to help me build out my kitchen. She’s a vegan and had worked in vegan bakeries. So, really, the magic of our cookie lives with her.”
As a badass in the Oklahoma service industry, what experiences would you say helped mold you along the way?
“If I had to chalk it all up quickly, I would say that working for a few popular restaurants with super involved owners who did nothing but aim to please at whatever cost, taught me that our job’s number one priority is to please the customer, no matter what that entails. They are the reason we exist and without them, we would not. There’s just such a great feeling at the end of the day that you get knowing that you made so many people happy. A lot of those experiences were not easy and I was not always treated kindly, so I was forced to toughen up. You know the saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” Yuck! I suppose I also learned to never treat my staff that way, kindness gets you so much more. Also, never settle. That’s the key.”
You were definitely one of the early pioneers for vegan food offerings in OKC, what enticed you to take on that challenge?
“Working in the restaurant business and having a few vegans, um, ask you know, if we had anything and having to kind of like figure out what vegan meant and what can we make. And then me, myself, maybe thinking I want to be vegan and realizing how hard it was to find anything. I love going out, so I want to go out, but I don’t want to be like an afterthought. And that’s how a lot of restaurants make you feel, like vegan stuff is just an afterthought. So, I went to Chimera in Tulsa and I walked in I realized they had vegan pastries, they had vegan things on the menu, and it was all delicious. And that’s probably really the reason I decided to partner up and do this with Elemental. My whole thought was I want it to be accessible to everyone.”
Throughout COVID, you helped Elemental thrive during a time many were just trying to survive, which included opening a second location. What approach did you take and how did you help your staff function during that time?
“Welp, it was not easy! I decided to stay positive and not let the overwhelmingness of what was happening get to me too much. I first made sure I made decisions that my staff felt comfortable with because, without them, we wouldn’t still be here. I tried so hard to make sure that everyone who came into our shop felt safe and comfortable. People needed to feel safe. Then I just started pulling tricks out of my hat, hoping that any or all or even just one would work. It was difficult. But we made it, barely.”
Scrolling through your Instagram and it looks like you spend a healthy amount of time in the Wichita Mountains. What is it that keeps you going back and if it’s the first time for someone to make the trip, what’s the one place they have to check out?
“I describe going to the Wichita’s as going to church. I don’t really know what going to church is like, but I feel like when people go, they feel better and when I go to the Wichita Mountains, it’s like a spiritual thing, like I just renewed myself. It’s so damn beautiful and I don’t really feel like I’m in Oklahoma when I go. When I take people for the first time, I usually hit Crab Eyes because the terrain just changes so dramatically and the views just get better and better every step you go.”
If you had one piece of advice for someone looking to enter the service industry, what would it be?
“Don’t take it personally. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about the customer.”
When you’re going out for a night on the town, where’s your go-to spot for something tasty and maybe an adult beverage or two?
“That’s easy, Red Rooster. It’s a block away from my house. I love the owners. The food and drinks are always delicious, and they support local farmers, which is highly important to me.”
Tell us something exciting you’ve got going on in your life right now?
“Well, I just took my first adult vacation. So, I feel like that was the most exciting thing I’ve got going on because I’m still reeling after it. I got to mark off two cities on the west coast, see new things, and be inspired by nature. Other than that, I feel like I’m just adapting to, you know, being able to live a little more again through COVID.”
The coffee we enjoyed: Huckleberry Roasters - Letefoho
Origin: Ermera, East Timor
Notes: Raisin, walnut, chocolate wafer
Brewing method: Pour-over
My thoughts: A little small world story on this bag of coffee. I first tried a Huckleberry coffee when I had my office downtown. It was fantastic then and I was stoked to get to try some more. Mason, one of the baristas at the Boxcar, recently brought this bag of coffee back from his honeymoon, coincidentally, Huckleberry is also Elena’s favorite coffee shop when she’s flying into Colorado to visit family. Funny how coffee makes those connections. If you’re into approachable coffee, this is the ticket. I really enjoyed it as a pour-over. It’s not complex, there’s nothing overly complex about it. It’s sweet and those chocolate notes really pop. It’s a great coffee to just enjoy, not go down that rabbit hole of trying to bring out other notes, just brew and enjoy. I didn’t have the opportunity to try it as espresso, but I’d imagine it’d pair really well with any milk option.