The Heart of IWU – A History of McConn Coffee Company (1996-Present)
By Kennedy McDonald
McConn: A Place of Connection
For nearly 30 years, McConn Coffee Company has been more than just a coffee shop—it’s been a hub for connection. It has been a social gathering place, a space for late-night studying, a venue for events, and more. Their slogan, “First a place of love, second a place of coffee,” has stood strong over its years of business. Since the first day of being open, McConn’s emphasis has been on people and fostering relationships, not the numbers or profits. Thanks to the natural warmth and community, McConn has become an integral piece of the IWU experience.
The Early Days: Where it all Began
The idea to create an on-campus cafe was born in 1995. Then Vice President of Student Development Dr. Todd Voss, his wife Julie Voss, Professor Jerry Showalter, and a couple resident directors wanted IWU to have a go-to place that could be the “heart of campus.” Unfortunately, there weren’t many available spaces for new construction at the time. One of the only options was a space located on the edge of campus in McConn Chapel. With everyone involved wanting this dream to become a reality, sooner rather than later, the chapel was chosen to be the cafe’s first home. After a lot of physical work put in from the Vosses and Showalter, the space began to take shape. The initial cafe idea finally started to become a reality. Some IWU business students started formulating a business plan for the coffee shop to implement, which is a treasured relic at the cafe today. All the right pieces fell into place and “Common Grounds” (McConn’s founding name) was born in 1996.
The cafe’s first five years in McConn Chapel were formative. Groups of students and staff congregated in the space. There was a sense of meaningful community beginning to form. Although the shop was struggling to make it on its own financially, the community being built in the process was priceless. Luckily, the Student Development office saw and supported the vision, chipping in funds to keep the cafe afloat.
Despite the financial instability, Common Grounds was up and coming at the perfect time. During the same time of the cafe's creation, other coffee shops were also starting to become popular in the surrounding area. The first Starbucks came to Butler University’s campus in Indianapolis in 1999. IWU’s Common Grounds was still ahead of the curve, and all it needed was some time to be fully integrated into the university’s culture.
In June of 2001, McConn Chapel was demolished to make way for the Noggle Ministries building. Students protested the demolition, and it was postponed due to a duck roosting in the area. Once the ducks were relocated, the demolition resumed.
Moving to the Barnes Student Center
With Common Grounds’ original location gone, the cafe needed a new home. Coincidentally, the Barnes Student Center was also being built in 2001. Thanks to the influence of the Vosses, a designated space for the coffee shop was drawn into the student center’s construction plans.
During this transition, the name of the cafe was changed from Common Grounds to McConn Coffee Company. The cafe’s namesake is William McConn, the third official president of IWU (known as Marion College until 1988). The name also refers back to the cafe’s original home, McConn Chapel. Amidst all of this growth and change, McConn’s heritage was still not forgotten. Today, the cafe’s decor features McConn Chapel’s stained-glass windows and chandeliers.
Once plans for the cafe’s new space were established, Julie Voss was asked to lead McConn in its new opportunity. This meant taking charge as the business grew physically, implemented more student workers, and became a spotlight in IWU’s new student center.
The location wasn’t the only aspect of McConn that was changing. Since the cafe’s creation, students had been paying for their coffee out of pocket, but Dr. Todd Voss had other plans.
“One of the gamechanger elements was when Dr. Voss worked out a plan with Pioneer Food Service (who was still a very new food service company at IWU at the time) that students could use ‘meal points’ from their meal plan to purchase items from McConn,” said Julie Voss.
For college students, this new initiative was huge. They no longer had to use their extra dollars to buy coffee and could use their meal points to pay for their lattes.
McConn Turns the Corner
The new partnership with Pioneer Food Service proved to be a financial advantage for McConn.
“In response to this success and growth, I developed five student paid internship manager positions: accounting, purchasing, marketing, human resources, and business development. These roles were very competitive and provided great on-campus management experience for students,” said Julie Voss.
Mrs. Voss was dedicated to helping McConn and its team develop, both personally and professionally. She would take her management team to a yearly coffee fest in Chicago to acquire new skills and test new products for the cafe. She would also invite staff over periodically to her house, so they could grow closer as a team.
Voss’ predecessor, Stephanie Brodt, continued McConn’s familial culture when she became the manager. “We spent so much time together (including trips and weekend getaways when we could) and became very close,” said Brodt. “In fact, I still talk to them today! We were ‘doing life’ together while working at McConn and I loved every minute of it.”
When McConn was first established in the student center, it looked much different than it does today. The coffee bar used to be half the size and only staffed up to ten baristas. The cafe now staffs 60 baristas and multiple interns per semester. The cafe has even become a non-profit revenue producer for IWU.
A Unique Coffee Culture
With McConn booming from all the changes, its presence on campus was thriving.
“I would tell my new managers to simply soak up the activity at McConn and just look around and see what is happening; students praying with each other, studying, tutoring, faculty holding small meetings, classes actually meeting there, students able to meet with their advisors in a different setting than an office, mentoring and even inviting community from outside into the IWU experience,” said Voss, “to watch this all develop was so incredibly amazing. It became so much more than coffee.”
McConn’s presence was so impactful that even other universities were taking notice. Montreat College once came to observe McConn, and the managers created a VIP table for them during a musical event, which changed their entire perspective on hospitality. McConn’s managers and baristas are dedicated to creating this special atmosphere and are often referred to as the “McConn Family.” McConn’s mentality became “Service before self.”
Exciting Traditions Continue
Besides facilitating community and brewing great coffee, McConn has also built several campus-wide traditions over the years. One of the most notable is Crema (its name originating from a coffee term), a live-music event that McConn hosts weekly.
The event first began in 2002. The purpose was to provide students with a space to play music and perform. It started small but eventually built up to include outside bands. In the modern-day, Crema is back to featuring mostly IWU students.
A few more recently established traditions include Mc-Halloween, where baristas participate in a costume contest; Public House, a mocktail and games event; and Mc-Madness, the cafe’s play on the March Madness basketball tournament.
McConn’s Impact Today
While the cafe has continued to morph and grow over the years, it has worked to uphold the values that have been so crucial to its success. For many students, working at, grabbing coffee from, or even walking by McConn on the way to class is a part of their everyday life at IWU. It continues to remain at the heart of campus, which becomes evident during events like prospective student visit days, homecoming, and alumni visits.
McConn is not just a surface level business. There are deeper meanings everywhere you look. Even their current quatrefoil logo stands for their deepest values: history, community and sustainability.
The current marketing manager, Mary Sebbas, has been deeply impacted by McConn’s presence. “McConn has a unique legacy on campus. When you hear the name McConn you don't just think of a coffee shop, you think of a place to live in community,” said Sebbas. “It is the most lifegiving organization I have ever worked for. McConn is a safe space for me, our baristas, and many IWU students. Representing this organization is so much fun and I love the opportunity to invite other students into the culture of McConn.”
The cafe continues to be a catalyst for community, and its influence doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
