Breaking New Grounds

Photos courtesy of Flying M Coffee

Owners of Flying M coffee in Nampa discuss maintain their unique culture in the midst of the pandemic

Story by Courtnie Dawson

Couches, coffee, community. By design, Flying M’s three locations are cozy spots for anyone to enjoy, be it peaceful, private time with a cold brew or a high-energy excursion with 10 of your closest friends.

But when you’re living in a pandemic, that sense of community evaporates as fear, confusion, and caution take over.

“Flying M is the “second living room” for a lot of people, which we love. But that’s just not an option right now,” says Chloe Hanson, owner of the Nampa location. 

That “living room” vibe is crucial to the Flying M that Chloe has always known, since her parents first opened the Boise location in 1992. When she and her husband bought the Nampa location from her parents, they expected to continue their legacy. But unfortunately, that’s been put on hold as they manage their responsibility to the health of customers and staff alike.

“It’s really hard to be facing the public right now,” Chloe says. “Suddenly, being a barista has become a stressful job.”

Flying M has been forced to discourage the shop’s purpose as a gathering place to ease the risk of COVID transference between customers and staff. This has meant cancelling or drastically changing events; no more coffee cuppings, less art shows, reduced happenings in general.

The loss cuts deep. As customers retreated from public spaces, the coffee shops didn’t need as much coffee, which in turn slowed Flying M’s coffee roasting, a double hit to Flying M’s revenue source.

But over the course of the year, Flying M switched gears to accommodate the new pandemic life-style of taking to-go and staying home. The adoption of a pre-order take-out system, curbside pick-up, and home bean delivery have all kept Flying M in the lives of their regulars, who have jumped at the new opportunities to support their favorite local coffee.

“We’ve been enjoying figuring it out, and it’s been enjoyable seeing names popping up more and more regularly,” Chloe says. “It’s heartening to see people still wanting to support us, even though the experience looks different.”

Even as the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel starts to shine through, Flying M is continuing to adapt along with their customers. Plans for a delivery-based coffee club are in the works, and Flying M is tentatively planning to pick up cuppings, trivia, and their other regular events in the spring and summer, such as their Outdoor Super Summer Craft Market. 

“I’m hopeful that as [COVID] numbers look better and our staff feels more comfortable, we’ll be able to add these things back in our schedule,” Chloe says. “We want to be a welcoming family again for our customers.”