It’s more than just a coffee shop. 

When I came to Emporia State in 2018, I remember going to Gravel City Roasters (at the time located at 608 Commercial St.) and immediately feeling like I was in a safe, welcoming environment that valued my presence as a customer and as a person. Since then, a lot has changed. The pandemic hit, friends moved away, jobs changed and so did I. But Gravel City Roasters has always been there. 

This modern yet quaint local coffee shop provided me with something I couldn’t find anywhere else in Emporia: the ability to detach from the university and the town of Emporia.

It’s hard to explain if you haven’t been a guest at Gravel in the past. It sounds silly even, but the feeling of walking into the shop, ordering your coffee and studying in one of the cozily mismatched chairs is almost like being in another city, somewhere far from Emporia. There is an unspoken yet ever-present kindness and respect for everyone who enters. No matter how the outside world treats you, Gravel City will be there to greet you with unfailing kindness.

In addition to the loneliness and often anxiousness that accompanies being a college student, being a transgender individual in a small town in Kansas has its own set of challenges. While I commend ESU for having an open and accepting LGBTQIA+ community (PRIDE), I never was one to feel the need or want to join such organizations. Sometimes, going as far as just having a pride flag at your counter is enough to make people feel welcome and accepted. 

Thank you to Angie and Joe and the entire staff at Gravel City for making your business so much more than a study spot for college students like me.