If you live in Hendricks County, chances are you’ve encountered Jordan and Stephanie Yant at one of their four businesses.
The couple opened their first Cabin Coffee Co. location in Avon in May of 2019. Then they partnered with another Hendricks County couple to open LumberjAXE in Plainfield last December.
This summer they took ownership of Danville’s beloved Danville Dips ice cream shop, and now they’re celebrating the grand opening of their second Cabin Coffee location in Plainfield.
For the past six months, faithful customers and soon-to-be customers have been anticipating the opening of the new spot to pick up their favorite drink, and are excited to see the project come to fruition.
For the Yants, the past few years have been eventful. Not only did they adopt their 2.5-year-old son, JJ, in 2022, and 1-year-old daughter, Kacie, in 2023, but they also became the owners of four businesses across the county, and continue to inspire and bring unique offerings to the place where they’re raising their family.
The couple says it’s all about the connection to their community.
“I think it’s the people – the customers and our team,” Stephanie said. “We’ve had hundreds of people work with us over the past five years at Avon’s Cabin Coffee and I just love seeing the impact. Someone who worked with us when we first opened is now having her first baby. They become friends and family, and we know our customers by name. I think that connection is what keeps us going when we get busy and overwhelmed.”
Cabin Coffee is a small franchise. The original founders, Brad and Angie Barber, opened the first location in Clear Lake, Iowa. Unlike many chains, each shop is locally owned and operated, with a focus on community and family-friendly atmosphere. The Plainfield and Avon locations are currently only two of three in the state.
“A lot of coffee shops have transitioned to drive-through,” Jordan said. “We really care about creating a place people can gather. We do fresh coffee and roast it right on-site. The roasting room is in a visible area for everyone to see.”
Customers in a rush can also order through the Cabin Coffee app to have their drink ready to go when they walk in the door.
In addition to their fresh coffee selection, including their signature White Coffee drinks, Cabin Coffee offers a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches – everything from the Southwest Breakfast Wrap to the Chicken Bacon Ranch, and even the kids (and adults) Mac & Cheese.
“We serve a good variety,” said Jordan. “Whether you’re looking for a great cup of coffee, a soup and sandwich, or breakfast, we have something for you.”
In addition, fans can pick up Cabin Coffee merchandise, or their favorite freshly roasted coffee by the pound.
Back in 2019, both Jordan and Stephanie attended training in the original Iowa coffee shop. However, Jordan says it’s unlikely you’ll see him making coffee. They each have their own unique skill set, and it just so happens to create the perfect team.
“I spend a lot of time looking for locations in Hendricks County,” Jordan said. “We want to be in the path of progress, and when I found this spot in Plainfield it was a destination. There’s connectivity in a walkable area. It was perfect.”
The Plainfield location on Vandalia Boulevard includes outdoor seating and sits right off of the Vandalia Trail, making it the perfect pit stop for cyclists, walkers and runners. The new building also includes a meeting room for organizations, large groups and businesses.
Though we know Jordan won’t be roasting the coffee, that training in Iowa does come in handy in many ways. For example, the opening of their second Cabin Coffee location is going to be that much easier, since many on the team already know the ropes.
“The chaos seems to come in waves,” Jordan said. “We have such a great leadership team who has enabled us to do this. This time around we’re very confident, because we have a team in Avon who has been trained and has years of experience.”
Stephanie is a businesswoman at heart. “As a teen I started at Chick-fil-A,” she said. “I loved that job and I went to college for business. It was always my dream to own my own restaurant or coffee shop. I just didn’t know it would look like this. Jordan was always supportive and we found Cabin Coffee a few years into our marriage.”
She can name several young people who have worked at Cabin Coffee, gone to college, and used what they’ve learned to build a future for themselves.
“I think one out of 50 teens who work with us might experience what I did and want to take this further,” she said. “We want people to leave better than they were when they started. For some, this will turn into a career.”
Not only are they hoping to impact employees, but they hope to impact the customer as well, by creating a great start to the day or the perfect spot to meet a friend for lunch.
“I always say the rewarding part of our industry is it’s easy to make people happy,” Stephanie said. “What’s easier than handing someone a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone? We love Hendricks County and we want to bring something to the community that it doesn’t currently have.”
From the get-go, the Yants have always planned to open multiple Cabin Coffee sites in their favorite county, but for now they can’t speak to future business. The current plan is to settle in with the four businesses they have at the moment, with an emphasis on getting the Plainfield Cabin Coffee location running smoothly.
Who knows? They might be raising two future business managers or baristas.
