There is a stag on the back of the Rise Coffee Truck. Direct your gaze downward from his estimable rack, and notice his cute shirt and bow tie. This is no bumpkin buck. This deer is civilized. Classy. And perfectly at home against the signature sea-foam green background that denotes all things Rise Coffee.
Except that’s not sea-foam green. Technically, the color is called “Bright Teal Surprise,” explains the truck’s co-owner, Sara Endejan (who sports a cranberry-colored ‘do, herself). Much like Strange Donuts’ signature color, “Swimming-Pool Blue,” the teal not only helps to brand the experience, it acts as a warning beacon. Hey kids! – this way to the fun!!
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Urbane ungulates, Day-Glo colors and the city’s first gourmet coffee truck are now of a piece. The Rise Coffee Truck is joining the fleet of trucks roaming the City and County, dispensing festive snacks and drinks to our people. It’s the first truck in the region that will make espressos, pour-overs, and other modern-day coffee contrivances, and it didn’t just appear out of thin air.
Endejan and fellow co-owner / husband Nick Endejan converted a former Hostess delivery truck into a snazzy vehicle with multiple sinks, a massive espresso machine, and grinders strapped to the wall, under-counter drawer refrigerators, a supply of filtered water, and everything else a mobile barista could want.
The pair will pour espresso drinks and drip- and hand-brewed coffees made from beans roasted by the whiskered dudes of Sump Coffee. Chai and loose-leaf teas come via the ReTrailer. Pastries are furnished by the ever-popular Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop, and include goodies like muffins, scones, and thumbprint and other cookies in vegan, gluten-free, and normal options. It’s an admirable example of local collaboration.
Sara also mentioned that she’s chatted with the fryboys at Vincent Van Doughnut about meet-ups where the public could hit a coffee truck and a donut truck parked side-by-side in a single go; it’s a grand idea.
Meanwhile, inside the Rise Coffee House proper, visitors find snappy aesthetics and an evident commitment to the community. The upstairs kids’ romper room, the pay-it-forward “Coffee for the People” bulletin board, and the embrace of that progressive, warm, communal Grove vibe are appreciated.
We wish the Endejans well in their maiden voyage on the truck. The vehicle does not yet have a name. The stag on the back, Sara said, is named “Victor.”
Rise Coffee Truck
Grand Opening Celebration
Saturday, Jan. 17
Noon – 2 p.m. in front of Rise Coffee
4180 Manchester
