8 minute read
Chamber Spotlight
Gillette Retires after 15 Years with Moore Chamber of Commerce
It is hard to put into words how one person can impact your life without getting sappy and long drawn out, but we will do our best to convey to you just how much Kathy Gillette impacted our lives here at the Moore Chamber.
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First and foremost, Kathy is a friend, mentor, and overall leader to our staff at the Chamber. She expresses daily her desire for all of us to succeed both in our careers and our lives outside the Chamber. Kathy takes an active interest in our personal lives knowing full well the impact that has on our daily performance. She never minces words and holds us to the fire when necessary to get results. She expects great things from the team, and it isn’t hard to want to give her what she wants.
Kathy is a GREAT storyteller. She always has a tale to tell to entertain the masses. As she always says “I can kill ‘em, gut ‘em and fry ‘em” as she talks about her hunting excursions. She is a good ol’ gal from Southeast Oklahoma and proud of it. (We will note that Kathy grew up in South Oklahoma City, but her heart grew up in Southeast Oklahoma.) The beauty and carefree life of the Broken Bow area is what makes Kathy so special.
“Family First” is something else we can always contribute to Kathy. She has a large family and makes every friend she has feel like family. Her family could probably fill a football stadium – “Eagletown is a population of 600 and 450 are my relatives”.
How can you not smile at a comment like that? She makes you giggle. She makes you wonder how one person could have done all that she has done. She makes the world a better place and makes our lives better for just being lucky enough to have her in them.
We tell her all the time she should write a book. We know it would be quite the read, but also know the names would have to be changed to protect the “innocent”.
Thank you, Kathy, for the 15 years of dedication that you have given to the Moore Chamber and the Moore community. We are better for having you as a part of our lives. Here’s to your next adventure.
Kathy Gillette, IOM
President/CEO 2014-2020
Membership Director 2008-2014
2016 Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives Sheila Lee Executive of the Year
Aims to Provide Great Coffee & Food
After six years of exploding popularity selling premium coffee by subscription, the veteran-owned Black Rifle Coffee Company is in the midst of a new expansion into brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. Jeff Roberts, Owner and Partner at RST Coffee Holdings is heading up Phase One of Black Rifle’s store openings. Roberts can barely disguise the excitement in his voice as Moore’s Black Rifle Coffee location gets closer to its May opening date.
“We’re just so excited to be a part of the Moore community and the greater Oklahoma City area,” said Roberts. “This area was on our radar from the beginning, and it was just perfect timing to have a tremendous space like this open up just off of I-35 and 19th Street.”
Black Rifle Coffee was born in the mind of Evan Hafer, a former Green Beret who served multiple tours of duty in some of the most dangerous, wartorn places on earth.
“Part of Evan’s daily morning ritual was brewing high-quality coffee for his fellow service members,” said Roberts. “That was just a passion of his that he developed over time, something that he had a real gift for doing.”
Around six years ago, after Hafer left the military, he decided to turn that passion into a career, roasting his own beans in his garage, and Black Rifle Coffee Company was born out of that. As a veteran, Hafer was committed to making it part of its business mission to support veterans, police officers, and first responders.
“You’ll find that goal present throughout Black Rifle Coffee,” said Roberts. “It really is something that the brand stands for, and we’re committed to doing it in tangible ways.”
The first five years of the company’s existence was as an internet-based subscription company. Roberts says he became a fab of Black Rifle Coffee when he was the Senior Vice President of Global Retail and Merchandising for 5.11 Tactical, a clothing company that sells uniforms and tactical equipment for law enforcement and public safety personnel. The chain has a local store near Quail Springs in the North OKC area.
“I was just blown away by the attention and the fan base for Black Rifle,” said Roberts. “Evan just has this gift and a discerning taste for the highest quality coffee, so customers have come to expect that any time you grab a cup of Black Rifle Coffee.” 5.11’s CEO at that time, Tom Davin, moved to the CEO position at Black Rifle Coffee and Roberts says it was just a matter of time until that turned into a partnership that is rolling out these new brick-andmortar locations. The Moore location will be the fourth Black Rifle Coffee location to be opened by his franchising company. Two opened within the last couple of weeks, one in San Antonio, one in the Dallas area, and one in Clarksville, Tennessee. He can’t wait for Oklahomans to set foot in the new store on Telephone Road in Moore.
“We designed this to be a bright and open community space where we want people to come and be welcome,” said Roberts. “We have about 1000-square-feet indoors and a 2300-square-foot patio along with WiFi and a lot of electrical outlets, so we want folks to come in to relax and enjoy our coffee and our menu.”
Coffee is at the top of that menu. Roberts promises that you’re going to experience the passion for coffee and service that permeates the company from the moment you step into the store. Customers will find all of their favorite types of hot and cold coffee items on the menu, including Americanos, Cappuccinos, Espressos, Lattes, Mochas, and Chai Teas.
“These guys are passionate about every single cup of coffee we brew for our customers,” said Roberts. “We have a custom pour-over where they grind. They’re grinding the beans right in front of you, so you get the purest and freshest cup of coffee possible. It’s a full dedication from top to bottom, all the way across the organization.”
Roberts says customers will also enjoy a menu of baked goods and sandwiches that use fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
“We have this thing called a Maple Bacon Bomb,” said Roberts, “It’s like a giant cinnamon-type of roll but with a maple spread and bacon. We’ll also have a green chile kolache and some different sandwiches, including a turkey, club, and Caprese sandwich that we think folks are just going to love.”
Black Rifle Coffee’s presence will also include a commitment to being an active partner in the community. Roberts says the company will be looking for ways to engage with the local community for ongoing ways to support veterans, police, firefighters, first responders, and the community at large. The company will ultimately employ somewhere between 30 and 40 local workers. The store-opening staff is going through an intense two-week training program that will prepare them to serve customers at the highest level.
“I think that’s one of the main things we want folks in Moore and the OKC area to know,” said Roberts. “We are fully dedicated to being an important and engaged part of this community.”
The new Black Rifle Coffee Company store should be open for business sometime between early and mid-May.
ADDRESS: 1909 S Telephone Road · PHONE: 405-877-3502 WEBSITE: blackriflecoffee.com HOURS: Monday – Friday 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Sunday 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
