By: Michelle Pawelski
Photos: Bailey Sadowsky
For Kayleigh Dixon, there is no secret formula or playbook behind the warm, welcoming atmosphere at Dixon Coffee Company.
It simply unfolds organically.
That ease likely comes from her lifelong love of serving others, a passion that began well before coffee entered the picture.
At just 9 years old, Kayleigh was already taking her parents’ dinner order, proving it’s never too early to start service with a smile.
Today, that same instinct for hospitality shapes the culture at her cozy coffee shop tucked into Mead Lumber’s parking lot off Omaha Street, and it’s a feeling that trickles down to her employees and customers alike.
“I actually aspired to do something different and didn’t grasp that this would be my calling until later,” Kayleigh said.
While working as a barista during college, she quickly built a loyal following with customers drawn not only to her keen coffee skills but also to the genuine positivity and friendliness she brought to every interaction.
Her nearly a decade at Black Hills Blend helped shape the vision for her own business, Dixon Coffee Company, which she opened with her husband, Christopher, on Sept. 10, 2014. Together they are raising three children: Liam, Remi, and Everleigh.
“Black Hills Blend was a small business, and I loved that,” she said. “I got to know the owner and his kids really well.”
Kayleigh wanted to carry that same family dynamic into Dixon while also providing healthy, homemade, organic options. “It was near and dear to my heart to have an opportunity to create a drink or produce that was fair trade and organic,” she said. “That was really a big focus for us.”
In the 11 years since opening Dixon, Kayleigh and her team have achieved both.
“I can’t pinpoint how we have created such an awesome culture at Dixon, but it has become that way,” she said. “I feel like everyone who works here becomes friends. I hire these people, and eventually they all hang out together and become really close.
Over the last 11 years, that has happened over and over again.”
That positive workplace culture translates into the service provided, which is paramount to Kayleigh. She leads her team by modeling her community-focused service based on an outstanding product.
“I think as a mom, your kids are not going to do as you say, but do as you do,” she said. “That is a big part of it – watching me in action.”
Despite running the day-to-day operations, Kayleigh still finds time to return to her roots, slinging
caffeinated beverages and chatting up customers. Many are still customers from her days at Black Hills Blend. Some are children of her former coffee patrons. And Kayleigh knows more than just their drink preference. She remembers the car they drove more than a decade ago, the highlights of their vacation, the milestones in their lives – anything she can learn from the five minutes while they are waiting for their order.
“It’s those brief little moments that I cherish. You get to know so much about someone in those few
minutes,” she said.
It is those qualities she instills in her employees as well. The small coffee hub is often lined up on both sides with eager drivers. Dixon baristas, however, remain calm and always have a smile and time to ask about someone’s day.
“As a leader, it is important for me to guide and instruct them in a way that presents quality and consistency in our product and a focus on cultivating relationships. That is at the heart of it,” she said. “If I mimic that when I am here, then they will feel that too.”
Kayleigh also encourages her employees to help shape the business, inviting their input on policies, procedures and new drinks so they feel genuinely invested in the business.
She empowers them to create the monthly features and share ideas on how flow could work better within the shop. “That helps them feel more connected to the shop and business, and I think that is a big part of leadership too.”
Kayleigh is also focused on giving back to the community that has supported her throughout the years. Aside from providing coffee and donations to various organizations, each year she and her team choose a charity to support during the holiday season. “This year, we did a food drive for Feeding South Dakota, and we also donated half of the gift cards purchased to the Stevens High School band students.”
At the heart of Dixon are the people, both community and employees, and the relationships built and nurtured with each interaction. The business is special because it allows Kayleigh and her team to connect with so many others in a positive way, creating moments that matter for them and the community.
“Our reach may be small, but we sure love being a part of our community – in any form.”
Original Article available in the February edition of Elevate Magazine
