If you’re like the majority of Americans, you probably start your day with a hot cup of coffee. But did you know you can enjoy your morning coffee at the Zoo?
Coffee Connections is a monthly event hosted at Sedgwick County Zoo. The first Monday of every month at 9:00 a.m., we invite you to come in, grab a fresh cup of coffee, and learn something new about the Zoo.
“We bring in a speaker from around the Zoo,” Education Specialist Joe McDowell said. “It could be a zookeeper that works in any of the departments. It could be a maintenance staffer or supervisor, it could be anyone from horticulture to security.”
The Spice Merchant has been sponsoring Coffee Connections since the class started in 2009. Each month features a different blend of coffee.
“Of course, I love coffee myself. So, I like to drink the different flavors and I like to support local,” McDowell said.
The Spice Merchant says their best seller is Jamaican Me Crazy, which has flavors of rum, caramel, and vanilla. The coffees offered at Coffee Connections tend to be a medium roast, but The Spice Merchant sells over 130 different coffee blends and more than 230 tea blends.
Coffee Connections is free to attend and with a different speaker each time, no two classes are the same.
“When you visit the Zoo, you’re here to experience what the Zoo has to offer and see different animals, but you don’t often get a chance to interact with the zookeepers, or the different staff members that are out here,” McDowell said.
Attend Coffee Connections to learn more about the people that keep the Zoo running while enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
