Anne
Salut! Salut! Taking the award for being the only, truly Quadra lingual Kicking Horse Coffee employee (she speaks 4 languages - including French, English, German and Spanish), Anne balances her time between pouring delicious cappuccinos in the Café, writing children’s books and looking for the next exotic global destination requiring the services of a talented “AuPair”. A little “vertically challenged”, Anne has lobbied hard for the approval of platform shoes behind the café bar, but despite her height, she is all might with a smile and positive disposition that keeps our café customers coming back again and again.
Caffeina
It is hard to believe, but 3 years have gone since the very first Kicking Horse Café employee started her new job. “Caffeina” as she has lovingly been named, has come a long way from her modest beginnings as a department store mannequin. Despite being periodically dismembered over the years, and ending up in the oddest places, Caffeina is credited with being the first Cafe employee to pour a perfect rosetta. She continues to work hard at overcoming the physical challenges of holding a frothing pitcher with wooden man-hands and the stigma associated with being stone-faced, rigid and un-animated. Sure, she looks a little creepy standing in the corner staring over the room, but she keeps the customers on their toes. We are also proud to report that she successfully took her first order last week, much to the chagrin of the customer who waited patiently for her to make change.
Heather
Our resident glass demolition expert joined our KH Café team after a long season with Eagle Ranch. Best known for her sharp wit and keen sense of humour, she doesn’t waste time ‘mincing words’- honest, straight up, with a mischievous smile and a splash of sarcasm. Of her many hidden talents, Heather has the ability to consistently turn out “coffee with love” marked with fantastic latte art to all her morning regulars-those are some good looking hearts (just don’t ask for that with whip cream)!
Jacinthe
Jaz, another Café team member, balances high customer contact in the café with periodic early morning retreats to the Café Kitchen. Another member of our growing, passionate, cafe “French Connection” Jaz juggles life precariously between exceeding the needs of our growing loyal fans in the café, to keeping up with her active “little guy”, and her undying quest to unlock the dark and mysterious secrets of chocolate and cocoa… “Hey Jaz….qu’est ce qui s’passe??? Pas grand chose…” bow chika wow wow!
Karen
Karen is proof positive that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Her 25+ years’ experience driving a forklift in a lumber yard gave her lots of time to think about what she would do for her next career. Thank goodness for all, her “epiphany” has resulted in the best cinnamon buns this side of the Rocky Mountains. Every day Karen (along with the occasional elf helper) faithfully hammers out an unbelievable number of killer sandwiches, scones, brownies and cookies in the Kicking Horse Cafe; and her favourite KHC blend? Anything with a little rye in it….
Karin
or Swiss Miss is our first International recruit. Hailing from the land of great chocolate and wary cows, Karin puts her experience as a pastry chef to good use preparing delectable treats for the Cafe, on Karen's days off. When not working on developing yet another under-cover disguise, she can be found on most local trails burning off excess energy running trails, sport climbing, riding her bike, swimming…
Lianne
Goodbye Fairmont Hotels, hello Kicking Horse Coffee! Recruited from the world of fine dining to the world of fine coffee, Lianne is the Kicking Horse Café Team Leader. Hired for her experience but cherished for her charm, Lianne has been pivotal in building a team and successfully launching the opening of the new KHC café and has been mandated by Elana and Leo to figure it all out, before we build the next café in locations not yet disclosed. For those interested, she is posting photos of her first Latte Rosettas on Facebook for the whole world to see. Viva Barista!
Miel
Miel – that’s French for honey, don’t you know? Miel joined us a couple of years ago part-time to help lend a hand in the kitchen. She now balances her time between the kitchen and the café ensuring a solid connection between the two. And if the heat in the kitchen is not enough, during the summer she spends her time walking through the woods as a fire warden making sure that campfires are out and fire rules are enforced. Despite how much she works… we continue “expecting” a little more from her this fall and winter.
Sami
Out of the mouth of babes…. Well that is about how old Sami was when she first started with us in the Kicking Horse Café. Her transformation over time has been nothing short of remarkable (ok, it has only been a couple of years). First hired to assist with bussing and cleaning, Sami has now joined the coveted ranks of a Barista. Sami remains committed to finish off her last year of high school – despite our repeated requests that she give it all up, drop out and become a full time Coffee Artisan.
Stephanie
Ummm hum….Year one and holding steady, Stephanie traded in her Carhartts and canvas jacket for the more distinguished lines of a black skirt and Kicking Horse Café dress shirt. Never one to shy away from experimentation, she has excelled in the artistic realm taking Latte art to new heights in the Café with the occasional joy ride in the delivery van and foray into the Packaging. Always found with a big smile on her face, Steph has raised the bar on Safety Committee participation and training, particularly given her close work with Heather…
Taylor
World traveler, professional dog sitter, graffiti artist….so many potential careers for Taylor, however, lucky for us, her heart belongs with KHC. Taylor had heard so many good things about working at KHC from her mom Shari, that she just couldn’t wait to try it out for herself. Of course we had to keep the two of them apart, and although Taylor makes the occasional foray into packaging, she spends most of her time, rounding out the team in the café. Along with Steph, she has most recently begun pushing the envelope with even wilder, more intricate Latte Art. In the early days, you just needed more imagination… “That’s a dragon, silly!!”
