Cornerstone Coffee Haus has proven a popular destination in downtown Seneca, KS. “We’ve been overwhelmed with the response and kept busy,” said owner Cathy Holthaus. The new business located at 431 Main offers a full espresso bar; hand squeezed limeades; sandwiches; and hand dipped ice cream and soda treats served from an old fashioned, horseshoe shaped soda fountain.
As if this weren’t enough to make the Coffee Haus worth a visit, the business is located in a newly refurbished, 3-story historic downtown building. The building was originally a bank and had served a variety of purposes over the years including housing. Cathy had always loved the building and believed it could once again be a special place to go.
Making this a reality, however, proved to be quite a project. “We thought we could renovate one floor at a time, but it turned out the entire building needed attention because the electrical wiring and plumbing were so bad,” Cathy explained. After a year of work, the main floor was ready to open on May 20th, but there is still work to be done to complete the top and bottom floors.
Cathy used every resource at her disposal to move the project forward including Enterprise Facilitation, the Northeast Kansas Rural Business Development Program, Seneca Downtown Impact, and the Washburn Small Business Development Center. She reports that EF helped her to sound out ideas and identify contacts. “Janet was a great help to me and very good about answering my calls or e-mails quickly,” Cathy said.
After starting with only four employees, the Coffee Haus currently employs 12. Cathy is very appreciative of her staff, especially their positive attitudes which keep customers coming back. She also gives kudos to her talented cook who comes up with delicious menus.
The Coffee Haus has served several private luncheons and hopes to do many more. Eventually, they would like to host unique events, and Cathy wants to add some gift and promotional items.
For now, Cathy invites you to stop in and try the best java freezes, limeades, crumble buns, and reuben sandwiches around! The Coffee Haus is open from 7 am to 5 pm Monday thru Thursday and 7 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.
