BY Mike McKenna
It turns out that the American Dream is really about community. Success is, after all, best enjoyed with others.
Santos Serva knows all about living the American Dream—the challenges, the hard work and the joys of sharing the rewards with others.
“I’m living the American Dream,” Santos said from the original Hailey Coffee Company location on Main Street in Hailey. He added with a smile, “Working every day. That’s the American Dream.”
When he was growing up in Huancayo, Peru, Santos never dreamed of owning a coffee shop. He thought he’d have a career in computers. But after joining his four brothers and moving to Sun Valley in 2008, Santos found a passion for the restaurant business. His easy smile, kind personality and work ethic have paved the way for Santos and his brothers to buy two longtime local businesses over the last several years, KB’s Burritos and Hailey Coffee Company.
Santos credits the former owner of KB’s (and his boss for years) Brian Kriesien for teaching him and his brothers about the importance of customer service. “Brian really liked to take care of the customers and showed us how important that is,” Santos said.
Patience and always trying to make improvements are some of the other keys to success for the Servas, but nothing is more important than the staff, which numbers more than 18 for the two Hailey Coffee Company locations alone.
“Staff is first, because if we don’t have a good staff, we don’t have any business. They make it work,” said Santos, who focuses on running the original Hailey Coffee Company, which just opened a second location on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum.
“Ketchum needed something a little wild,” Santos said about their newest location in the Colonnade Building. The Hailey Coffee Company in Ketchum is a bit of a contrast to the homey feeling of the Hailey spot. In Ketchum, there are more exciting and brighter colors mixed with natural elements like upcycled barnwood and recycled pallets.
Even though the two locations may look different, both offer the same great locally roasted Fair Trade organic coffee and freshly-baked muffins, cookies, breakfast burritos and extremely popular paleo products.
“People really love those paleo brownies, and I do, too,” Santos admitted, adding that the pecan coffee cake is another favorite because “it’s great for sharing.”
Sharing coffee cake or a Tomitino over a house specialty like a “Hailey Joe” or a “Kenya Cup” is a part of the fabric of the Wood River Valley community.
“I really love this place and the people of this Valley. They’re really good supporters and I appreciate them, “ said Santos, who is well-known for giving back. “I like to support the community whenever I can because it goes both ways. We help the community, the community helps us.”
Both Hailey Coffee Company (HaileyCoffeeCo.com) locations are open daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the Ketchum location staying open until 7 p.m. on weekends.
Mike McKenna is the executive director of The Chamber – Hailey & The Wood River Valley. He can be reached at Mike@ValleyChamber.org or by calling (208) 788-3484.