By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Sometimes hobbies turn into the best jobs. Donita Zamarripa was a barista years ago and turned that job into a hobby of making her own custom-flavored coffees. Then she taught Charles Hawkins some of her tricks. When the couple served their drinks for Hawkins' mother at a recent birthday party, a business idea was born. On Thursday, the Crazy Wolf Coffee trailer officially opened in the parking lot at Nana's Place, 114 E. Santa Fe Blvd in Ellinwood.
"After having our coffee, not just her, but everybody that was there at her 75th birthday party, kept telling us we needed to sell our coffee; it is so good," Zamarripa said. "That's what really got us going."
Crazy Wolf Coffee is owned by Hawkins, with Zamarripa serving as assistant manager. She said the business got its name because of Hawkins' love of wolves, the trailer's proximity to the Historic Wolf Hotel, and because of the importance of the Wolf name in Ellinwood's past. She added the crazy part, and also made the final touches on the company's logo.
"The logo actually came from someone online," Zamarripa said. "She had made that picture on a gaming site. We asked her if we could use that for our logo. She gave us permission to use it, and I did some things with it and turned it into what you see."
The trailer will be open each Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the menu are many of the standard coffee fares like cafe mocha and cafe macchiato, but the trailer will also serve specialty drinks like "white chocolate dream" and "chocolate silk." Iced coffees and frappes are also available, and carbonated drink fans can enjoy Italian sodas - soda made from syrup flavors, including root beer. Add a little milk for Crazy Wolf's Italian Creamosa.
Crazy Wolf Coffee is housed in a travel trailer that has been converted into a modern kitchen. That makes the business ideal for weekend events like the Labor Day Celebration in Hoisington and the After Harvest Festival. Zamarripa said they will also be available to book for other parties and events on weekends.
The business officially opened on Feb. 2, but will host an Ellinwood Chamber Coffee and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 17.
Watch for updates on the Crazy Wolf Coffee Facebook page, or contact Hawkins or Zamarripa by calling (620) 603-3433.