Work and Home Are All in Family

By Trisha Ryan (Carlsbad Magazine - WheelHouseMedia)

Many people find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning without the promise of fresh-brewed coffee. Imagine the luxury of that aroma coming from your very own coffee shop right downstairs. When their It’s A Grind Coffee House opens in July, the Drogo family will have just that.

Located in a mixed-use area of retail and living space in Carlsbad Village, the Drogos’ home is one of the condos above the shop. Owner Rhonda Drogo says they were attracted to the home after noticing vacant storefronts on the street level and realizing there could be a future business opportunity that would align with the Carlsbad Redevelopment Plan.

Though they’ve been in their new place only a year, the family has deep roots in Carlsbad. Rhonda and her husband, Sam, are builders who have always had a home in the area. Rhonda’s father, Leslie Caddow, was a local builder, too; her grandfather, Ed Caddow, laid the hardwood floor in the Twin Inns and her great-grandfather, Harry Vansickle, was a mason who constructed many of the Village’s brick houses.

Rhonda thinks the shop is an opportunity for the family to combine their love of Carlsbad with a new adventure. “We decided to retire from the building industry as construction became slow and our bodies needed a change,” she says. “Coffee fit everything we were looking to do.”

It helped that daughter, and shop manager, Shalyn worked at a northern California It’s A Grind during high school. “That job was the most fun ever, and the product is amazing,” she says.

A quality caffeine fix isn’t the only thing the mother-daughter team believes their business offers to the community. “Our motto, our philosophy is ‘heart to serve,’” says Shalyn. “It’s about being of service to people, which is something we can really do with this business.” It’s A Grind uses syrups from DaVinci, which supports Coffee Kids, an international nonprofit organization established to improve the quality of life for children and families who live in coffee-growing communities around the world. Customers can also purchase handcrafted coffee bean bracelets made by Costa Rican women, with proceeds benefitting that country’s children.

According to Rhonda, the live/work dynamic was also key to their plan. “We’re not driving to work, we’re contributing to the city redevelopment plan, we’re hiring local employees and we’ve collected a lot of information from our neighbors to ensure we design a business that fills a need,” Rhonda says.

Or as Shalyn describes it, “We hope to be your ‘third place.’ You have work, home and your coffee shop. Our goal was to create somewhere special—somewhere to hang out, study, have business meetings or bring your kids.”

After questioning friends and neighbors, the women made a wish list, including a large space, extended hours of operation, free wi-fi, comfortable seating and a fireplace.

The end result fulfills those wishes and more, with 1,600 square feet of space, indoor and outdoor seating, six specialty coffees brewed daily (out of 19 to choose from), specialty drinks, teas and various breads and pastries, as well as gluten-free products and free filtered water for thirsty cyclists.

Beyond that, the shop will feature live music and the women say they hope to host art shows, writing workshops and various other clubs and groups.

“We’ve really built this as a homey place,” says Rhonda.

“We’re just so excited, we don’t want to leave it.” •

It’s A Grind Coffee House

2744 Carlsbad Blvd., Suite 100