Walking into an EVP Coffee shop is like stepping into a family member’s home. The chairs and tables are worn and lived in; the couches are homey and show signs of lounging. One can tell many friendly conversations and study sessions have happened in these seats.

The walls are painted in warm shades of red and yellow, with fun pops of turquoise and purple, creating a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Large paintings adorn each shop, depicting eccentric cowboys, abstract plants, and colorful landscapes. Each painting is custom-made for the individual shop, adding a familial touch. 

“I’m really not a cool coffee shop,” owner Tracy Danner said. “I’m really about creating spaces that feel sacred to me and where everybody feels welcome.”

The inviting atmosphere is emblematic of how Danner runs Madison’s EVP Coffee. Twenty-eight years into the business, with four locations and two production sites, Danner brings the same warmth and welcoming environment to managing employees, serving customers, and providing a good cup of coffee.

Êtes-vous prêts?

Born and raised in Alaska, prior to opening EVP Coffee, Danner was a substance abuse counselor in Anchorage. She loved how social work allowed her to get to know her community intimately and help the people in her hometown. But after six years in the role, the intensity of the job started to take a toll on her. 

After deciding to leave social work, Danner aimed to incorporate the aspects of that career she loved into her next one. She was most passionate about serving people, listening to their stories, and helping them get through the day. She realized she could continue her service work by creating a community space that treated customers with respect. “I thought, ‘What do I love about this job?’ and I thought maybe I could use coffee as a way to serve other people and still do human service work,” Danner explained.

Transitioning into the next stage required revisiting a previous one. Danner attended UW-Madison for two years after high school and was part of the women’s rowing team.

When deciding to open a coffee shop in Madison, she wanted to honor that original connection and named her shop EVP Coffee, which stands for “Êtes-vous prêts,” and is the starting rowing command that translates from French to “Are you ready?” Now, instead of helping people through social work, Danner is able to serve people with a cup of coffee. “I use coffee as a vehicle to get people to walk through the door so I can serve them,” she said.

When the first shop opened in October 1997 on Highland Avenue, Danner set out to see if she could “lead with love” by treating employees with kindness and serving a great, fairly priced product while still running a profitable business. Danner said people told her she needed to be cutthroat if she wanted to run a business, but she wasn’t willing to do that. Now 27 years later, Danner believes she achieved all those things without sacrificing her love for helping people, saying, “I feel like it’s been a perfect fit for me.”

Building Community Through Kindness

Danner chose the warm, unassuming decor for the shop because she wanted it to appeal to everyone. She didn’t want it to be a trendy coffee shop or a place you get in and get out; she wanted the decor to feel inviting for everyone. 

Along with the decor, Danner has created an inviting environment by treating each customer with a “spirit of love, kindness, and respect.” Her goal was to create a place that was more than a spot to grab coffee; she wanted to create a neighborhood gathering space where she could get to know everyone who came in. EVP’s Lead Roaster Chris Tiller said he frequently witnesses customers strike up conversations with Danner like they’re old friends, and Danner goes out of her way to chat with regular customers. “Tracy truly does care about people,” Tiller said.

Danner asks her employees to bring the same level of kindness and respect to customers. When hiring baristas, Danner looks for a positive attitude in the interview process. She said EVP doesn’t train employees or have long conversations about how to be extra kind—she just looks for people with good hearts. “I’m really asking these folks to love people,” Danner said.

By hiring kind employees and cultivating an environment that prioritizes customer care, General Manager Monica Goncze believes EVP has successfully cultivated community spaces where people feel at home. And by providing this service, EVP has earned a lot of loyal customers. According to Goncze, 70% to 80% of customers are repeat visitors.

Empowering Employees

Danner applies her background in social work to employee management by building their confidence and demonstrating that they are valued. “I feel like a lot of places send the message to their workers that, ‘I don’t trust you, I expect the least of you,’” she said. Danner takes the opposite approach by respecting her employees and teaching them that their voices should be valued. She does so by making it clear to employees that their work is important and that she appreciates the effort they put into the business.

Danner builds employee confidence by teaching self-advocacy skills “so that when they move on to another job, they know they have worth and know how to respond when they are not treated well.” 

Goncze has been working at EVP Coffee since 2018 and has described working with Danner as “a breath of fresh air.” Together, Goncze and Danner try to create a stress-free work environment. If there’s ever an issue with an employee, they try to work through it and facilitate dialogue to address the issue and move forward. They also create a culture of open communication, so if someone is struggling, they know they can come to Goncze or Danner for help.

The communicative and appreciative environment is the reason Tiller has stayed with EVP Coffee for seven years. “Tracy’s just a really good boss,” he said. “She’s understanding and really tries to meet people where they’re at.”

Crafting Coffee

Cultivating a welcoming environment and a healthy workspace is so important for Danner that she often forgets how good EVP’s coffee is—but it is really good, she says. 

EVP Coffee roasts its own coffee daily at its East Washington Street location, so it can always be served fresh to customers, and Danner said that’s the best way to drink it. EVP’s coffee is air-roasted: a process that utilizes hot air instead of the traditional drum-roasting method, where beans are roasted on a hot surface. The air-roasting method creates a, “smoother cup of coffee with more balanced flavors,” according to Tiller. 

EVP is known for having strong, dark-roasted coffee, according to Tiller, who noted that EVP attracts a lot of loyal customers because of its coffee. Even after regulars move out of Madison, Tiller said EVP sells a good amount of their coffee beans around the country to former customers.

Regardless of how someone prefers their coffee, Danner stated it will be served with a loving gesture, as this is her way of caring for the community. With happy tears welling in her eyes, Danner said, “My whole thing has been providing great coffee, beautiful spaces, and safe spaces for people to come and be. EVP is my poem to the community.”