The Zanders Coffee Story

Hilihili! - Hello Zanders Friends!

Zanders Coffee is a family owned business located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Coarsegold, Ca. Founded in 2004 by myself and my late husband, Shon Alexander. We met and married at a young age and had many exciting ideas and dreams that came to fruition over the years. We were both driven and entrepreneurs at heart - we worked well together, feeding off of each others energy, and always supportive of one another. Shon especially loved coffee, before it was popular, a real coffee connoisseur. He would drive miles out of his way just to find a Starbucks, he needed his coffee to start his day! Not long after he was on the search for Peet’s Coffee instead, he said he didn’t like the way the beans tasted at Starbucks. Me on the other hand didn’t even know what a mocha was. I would go in the coffee shop with him and get a hot chocolate, but never coffee. I loved the smell and atmosphere inside of a coffee shop, that warm and cozy feeling.

That was back in the late 80’s early 90’s. At that time there weren’t very many independent mom and pop shops, he would look in the phone book of whatever town we were in and drive out of our way to support them. I agreed, after all at that time we were self employed and always appreciated the support we received from customers.

Then, one day I found an ad for a local coffee shop in Oakhurst, CA. He was a realtor at the time and was excited when I shared the idea of buying it. He didn’t hesitate, he trusted the idea and saw future potential, it also helped that he could have his love of coffee every single day!

We purchased the Oakhurst location and not long after, within less than a year we purchased our Coarsegold location. After sometime we decided to keep just the Coarsegold shop since that was where we lived. Over the years we remodeled, changed recipes, coffee, started roasting and even changed our name to Zanders Coffee which is after our last name, Alexander.

I know he would be so proud of what Zanders has accomplished over the years! With the help of our two children, Shonna and Luke, we continue to carry on the dream and create new ones. It has been such a blessing to continue to love what I do!

Being located in the Coarsegold Historic Village for over 20 years is very near and dear to my heart!
As a part of the Chukchansi Tribe, my ancestors raised multiple generations in this community. It was the hope of generations past, that we would carry our family values and ways of our elders in all aspects of life, including business.

Over the years, Zanders has strived to create a genuinely friendly atmosphere and serve delicious, fresh drinks that keep you coming back for more. We invite you to stop by our friendly shop and try one of our delicious coffee drinks while relaxing on the patio.

Mich Gayis - Thank you for supporting local!