MOO-ve Over, Mom Guilt

Katlyn Sanden whips up a specialty co ee from her Cows Co ee on Wheels trailer. Cows Co ee has pop-up days at various communities, serving at festivals, private events, cattle shows, and fairgrounds. She’ll show up anywhere that needs good co ee.

This Wyanet woman found a way to create a family-friendly business that fits into her schedule and priorities

Story and photos by Shannon Serpette

Never doubt the ability of a mom to come up with a creative solution when she’s trying to do what’s best for her family. Katlyn Sanden’s successful business, Cows Coffee, came about from her maternal need to find a way to provide for her family while still being there for them.

“I came up with the idea of Cows Coffee when I was home with my sick 9-month-old daughter. I was really struggling with what it meant to be a ‘working mom’ trying to juggle all the things – work, home, and family,” Sanden said.

That dreaded mom-guilt was hitting her hard – something many women who have both jobs and children can understand.

“I was tired of feeling guilty when I’d have to leave the office early to pick up my daughter from the babysitter and vice versa, when I’d have to drop my daughter off at the babysitter to go to work,” Sanden said. “The

guilt consumed me, and it wasn’t fair to me, my family, or my employer. That’s when I knew something had to change. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter but also be able to contribute financially to the family’s income.”

That’s when she had a lightbulb moment, thinking about how much she loves coffee and remembering the lack of good coffee at cattle shows when she was younger.

“If you wanted coffee, you’d have to drive to the nearest Starbucks, which usually was on the opposite end of town. I remembered all the times we took our own drip coffee maker from home, and people would flock to our pen in the morning just for plain, black coffee,” she said. “Then I thought how cool would it be to change show day for good and bring quality coffee directly to the show barn?”

From that brainstorming session, the coffee wagon idea was officially born.

“My mom actually came up with the name ‘Cows Coffee’ (which stands for ‘Coffee On Wheels’), and it stuck,” Sanden said.

Next up, she had to convince her husband that it was a good idea – and that didn’t happen right away.

“I remember telling my husband about it in the combine when it was just an idea. He thought I was crazy. Then I cried because I thought it was a really good idea and was crushed he didn’t think it was going to work,” she said. “And, at the time, that was my beacon of hope, as I was trying to figure out the whole ‘working mom’ thing. I hit the brakes a bit and prayed a lot. I mean, this was a huge, life-changing decision to up and quit my secure job with health insurance, benefits, and bonuses to go out on my own with something I’ve never done before. Was I crazy?”

Things started to fall into place for Sanden as she continued to consider her idea.

“After that, God just kept opening doors, and I just walked through them. He’d place the right people in my path. People who knew coffee. People who knew espresso machines. People who knew food trailers. It was all meant to be,” she said. “My husband eventually came around to my idea as he saw it start to take shape. Now he can make you any latte you ask for.”

She did all the groundwork for the business in 2018 and officially opened for business in August of 2019. Her first day of business was a pop-up event with Little Moo Boutique in the former Manlius Oil parking lot. Little Moo Boutique, located just outside of Kewanee, is owned by her friend, Jami Rieker, who has a trailer she pulls around to events to sell clothes.

Rieker said Sanden identified a real need in the community with her

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Katlyn Sanden’s Cows Co ee on Wheels food truck tours all around Bureau County and sometimes outside of the county, popping up in a di erent spot on any given day, such as this event on She eld’s Street Eats nights.

Co ee

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coffee trailer since the area doesn’t have many coffee shops.

“I think it’s a very unique idea, especially in the rural area we’re at,” Rieker said.

Sanden still remembers how nervous she was before her first event.

“The night before, I couldn’t really sleep. I remember being so excited and nervous all at the same time. I actually told people it felt like the night before my wedding. I knew something amazing was about to happen but wasn’t quite sure how it was going to go,” she said. “Turns out, aside from marrying my husband, this has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The people showed up that day, and it was so surreal to actually be getting paid to serve my coffee creations. There were even some people I didn’t know, so I thought that was a total win.”

Going to an event is about a lot more than just making a quality cup of coffee. Sanden does a great deal of work on the day of any event, like pulling the trailer down the road, parking it and making sure it’s nowhere near a fire lane or taking up customer parking, and doing her set up.

“My biggest challenges would definitely be weather-related. I have gotten stuck driving in a pretty bad storm, and I remember praying the whole way home. I couldn’t see the road and couldn’t see to pull off the road. Then when I turned down our road, a huge tree had fallen across the road. It was terrible,” she said. “I also got stuck serving in a pretty bad storm, and it was terrifying. I thought my helpers were going to get electrocuted or my trailer would blow away. We watch the radar religiously, and each time these storms popped up, they weren’t on the radar until they were. Nobody saw any of that coming.”

Navigating a sizable trailer isn’t always a great time either, but Sanden has learned to roll with the punches and adjust her game plan as needed.

“When I first started and the slightest thing would go wrong like electrical issues, parking issues, or whatever, I’d totally freak. But now, I’m learning to roll with it better. A few weeks ago, the only way out of my designated parking spot was to drive through a narrow alley. I literally had an inch on each side of my trailer and claustrophobic me was not ok, but we handled it,” she said.

Aside from Mother Nature and the occasional issue, there are plenty of positives about Sanden’s business.

“There are so many things I love about it. I love that I can include my girls in my work,” she said. “I love that I can pick my own hours. I love most of the people I get to meet through this. I’ve met some pretty great small business owners that are dreaming big and achieving all their dreams.”

“I love that when I go to work, I’m usually working with a friend and trying out new coffee concoctions for the next seasonal menu,” she added. “It’s all just so great, but being able to include my girls in my work has been the absolute best. Just because they may not be serving at every single event, they’re definitely there behind the scenes helping me stock the trailer, clean the trailer, and even sampling some coffee.”

Sanden has expanded her family since first conceptualizing her business -- now she has two daughters, ages 3 and 1. She hopes they’re learning more lessons than just how to make a great cup of coffee from watching her.

“I know they don’t see it now, but I really hope I’m instilling in them the confidence to chase their own dreams someday,” she said. “I hope I’m showing them how to create a life they love.”