Here at Fika Coffee, summer is the most exciting time of year. Not only is it the time of year when we get to make new connections with some of the many visitors traveling along the North Shore, it is also the time of year when we reconnect with many of our usual summer suspects who we enjoy so much. But, there is another dimension to our summer scene too. Summer is the time of year where we get to expand our staff to more than double its year round size. 

This summer the staff has grown to include nine people. Last summer it was seven, and the year before only five. You can see the trend! And with this trend, we get to build a team from a group of interesting people, and work together in the hot, oftentimes overpacked, and usually fast-paced environment of the Fika cafe - and we usually have fun doing it! I think that is in big part because we have some pretty awesome people working here. 

So, to give a little credit where credit is due, a big hats off to the Fika staff this summer. If you have been in the cafe, chances are you were able to experience the fun summer vibe that we have created. And chances are you have had a tasty drink be the capstone of that experience. That is our goal at least - community and coffee, and perhaps some adventure, but that last part is up to you!

So, to take it towards a personal note now, because it is easy enough to forget that people that stand behind the counters of the hospitality world are indeed people, complicated and wonderful as we are. Here it is; an introduction to the Fika staff in three questions. I hope you enjoy getting to know us!

The three questions each of our staff members were asked:

1. What has been/will be your top summer adventure of the year?
2. What is your summer coffee drink of choice?
3. If you could sit down and have a cup of coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? and why?

Leticia Novais

1. Top Summer Adventure: Waking up at 1:30am and hiking to see the earliest sunrise of the year from the highest point in the state.
2. Drink of Choice: Iced Cardamom latte with Oat milk.
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: François Paulette. He is an elder of the Dënesųłiné tribe in Canada. He was the youngest First Nations chief elected in the Northwest Territories. In 1972, Françios, along with other tribal leaders, sued the government of Canada to recognize aboriginal rights and the treaties it formed. After that, he went on to become a renowned speaker and advocate for First Nations rights. I would love to sit down and talk with him and learn from his wisdom.

1. Top Summer Adventure: Going to Wales to visit relatives and walk the coastal path
2. Drink of Choice: Flash Brew with Maple syrup
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: Madelaine L'Engle. I am interested in learning about her writing, which encompasses so many genres.

Alex Long

1. Top Summer Adventure: My top summer adventure was definitely the 3rd of July, weirdly enough. My girlfriend, myself, and two other friends went on a boat cruise around Pike lake, later in the evening. After a spectacular sunset, the stars came out and the wind died down, which caused the lake to turn to glass. There was a perfect undisturbed reflection of the milky way across the lake which met up with the sky and seemed to make this ring, which is a sight I truly will never forget.
2. Drink of Choice: Summer drink of choice has got to be an affogato. Okay, it isn’t a drink, but it still deserves the attention! It is the ice cream cappuccino that you wish you had already thought of.
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: I would definitely have to have a fika with Bill Nye (the science guy). He could explain to me how they actually discovered the Higgs Boson and what the heck that even is. He also seems like a fun guy. It would be nostalgic too - which is the most choice of emotions.

Malin Anderson

1. Top Summer Adventure: My trip to Washington, DC with Kids for the Boundary Waters! Over the course of three days I got to meet with representatives and their staff members and advocate for the beautiful, wholesome, and magic wilderness we all know and love: The Boundary Waters. It is currently being threatened by plans of sulfur mining in its watershed. We simply can’t have our pristine wilderness destroyed in an attempt to mine for sulfur which will inevitably pollute the water which flows straight into the Boundary Waters!
2. Drink of Choice: My top summer drink of the year would either have to be an iced vanilla latte or an iced red tea latte with oat milk.
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: If I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with anyone, I’d choose Bethany Hamilton. Ever since I have seen the movie Soul Surfer I have been so inspired by Bethany’s strength, endurance, and hope through losing her arm. In October of 2003, when Bethany was 14, she was out surfing and got her arm bitten off by a tiger shark. She remained calm through the whole thing and had one goal: to get to the hospital. She lost nearly 60% of her blood! The only thing she was afraid of was not surfing again! Three weeks later, she started surfing again and she has competed in surf competitions ever since. Now, she has a family and is a renowned professional surfer and motivational speaker. This movie also introduced me to my love for surfing and the ocean.

Maria Gilbertson

1. Top Summer Adventure: Kayaking on Lake Superior (I’m terrified)
2. Drink of Choice: Iced oat milk latte with cardamom
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: My grandfather who passed away when I was a child. To get to know him as an adult.

Colin Treiber

1. Top Summer Adventure: Hosting my wife, Leticia's, parents for a month and watching as they get the opportunity to meet their granddaughter for the first time.
2. Drink of Choice: Guatemala batch brew
3. Who I'd like to have coffee with: My uncle Richard. He died in my first year of life and so I never had the opportunity to get to know him. My entire adult life I have felt my curiosity and wonder grow towards him. From all the stories I have heard he was a unique individual, and a free thinker. 

You

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In other news...

Interested in other Fika-related news? If so, you'll want to check out these recent blog posts:

The Dark Future of Coffee: Find out why the future of coffee isn't looking so great and how that will affect not only us at Fika Coffee, but you as a consumer.

Dreaming and Doing: Here at Fika we want to be more than just a roaster who can make a good cup of coffee. Find out what we've been doing and where we plan on going with this business in the future.

The Breakup: If you haven't heard, we broke up with social media this past June and it caused a bit of a stir.