CHADWICK — When Shelly Kappes found herself in a pinch after cutbacks at her job three years ago, it led to a new business venture that has connected the Chadwick resident with many people throughout Carroll County and beyond.

And all the long-time healthcare worker had to do was learn to switch gears, adding a new skill to her resumé: Running a coffee truck.

Kappes is the owner of Ruby’s Coffee Coach, serving hot and iced lattes and other beverages that put a drink in customers’ hands and a pep in their step.

While learning a new trade and running a small business has had its rewards, the real perk in the coffee business has been seeing the response from her customers, most of whom are from Carroll County.

“Local small towns are where it goes over really well,” Kappes said. “People get really excited about it, which I love. Now that I’ve been doing this for a couple of years, I have regular customers, and I’ll know if [someone] wants a creme brûlée, and I kind of know their drink orders, which is kind of cool.”

Kappes balances operating the coffee truck while continuing to work as an X-ray technician at Mercyhealth FHN in Freeport, where she’s been for 33 years. Helping her out at stops and at home are her husband Roy; children Brooke, Blake and Blayne; sister-in-law Betsy Leech; and even grandchildren Banks and Stetson, who are inspirations to a couple of latte names on the menu.

Kappes started putting the wheels in motion after she found herself with more time and less income on her hands.

“My hours got cut at my full-time job, and I was left with thinking, ‘Okay, what am I going to do?’” Kappes said. “My sister-in-law told me about a coffee truck for sale. I pondered it and I contacted the lady.” The lady, and business’s namesake, was Ruby Shultz of Lena, who had run the business for about a year, but decided to sell it after her husband had passed away.

Roy was initially hesitant about seeing his wife take on running a small business, but she convinced him it would work.

“I pleaded and persuaded my husband to go up and look at it with me. He’s like, ‘You don’t want to do this,’ and I’m like, ‘Let’s just go look at it.’ We looked at it, and I continued to twist his arm until he said to me that if I wanted to try it, I could try it.”

And try it she did, buying the business from Shultz in July 2023. It turned out that Ruby’s customers thought the was quite a gem, so Kappes kept her name on the business. Shultz also sold Kappes the existing recipes.

“She just had such a good following,” Kappes said. “I contemplated whether to change the name, but I thought ‘Shelly’s’ doesn’t sound very good.” Kappes did spiff up the logo, though.

Unlike many mobile food operations, Ruby’s isn’t a trailer, but rather a truck, which required Kappes to quickly learn how to operate it herself. Because the truck was already set up and ready to go, it made the transition smoother than expected.

Roy handles maintenance on the truck during the winter months when it’s not on the road heading to events. Their children are involved in both creative and practical roles: Brooke assists with developing recipes, while Blake and Blayne help sample new drinks. She also has a few college- and high-school-aged employees who help her.

Named after Kappes’ grandsons are Banks’ Brew, a white chocolate mocha; and Stetty’s Delight, combining vanilla and salted caramel in honor of Stetson.

“It’s a family thing,” Kappes said. “My husband does the maintenance on the truck, and with it being an older truck, he’s always doing something with it. My kids help me. My daughter is a coffee connoisseur, so she helps me come up with recipes. My sons do the taste testing. It’s been fun.”

The menu also includes a range of flavored lattes such as snickerdoodle, creme brûlée, s’more, Almond Joy, salted caramel mocha, Andes mint, and Razzalocious, which blends raspberry and white chocolate. Lattes can be ordered hot or iced, with options for almond milk and added cold foam. The strawberry and raspberry smoothies remain popular. A chai tea latte is also available. Seasonal menus are offered throughout the year, including a holiday menu and spring specials.

The lattes were a learning experience for Kappes, who wasn’t a latte lover before buying the truck — coffee was her go-to drink. But these days? “Now, every morning, I’m making myself an iced latte,” she said.

Energy drinks were added later at the encouragement of Kappes’ children. Options include The 815, featuring blue razz and green berry flavors fueled by white Monster, and Pink Starburst, a strawberry-and-vanilla drink powered by pink Lotus.

From spring through fall, the truck travels to a variety of community events. Some of her regular stops include the Livengood Barn Sales in rural Chadwick, held twice a year, and the Shannon Labor Day Festival. The truck also appears at select farmers markets during the summer months and has traveled as far as DeKalb for special events.

Schools have also become a consistent part of the schedule, with regular visits to Milledgeville, Eastland and West Carroll schools serving students and staff, an option Kappes said has been well received.

Upcoming locations are typically announced on Ruby’s Facebook page, where customers can also follow seasonal schedules. Outdoor events sometimes continue past October, depending on whether it’s maintenance time for the truck.

The focus shifts during the winter months when the truck undergoes maintenance. Kappes continues to serve her drinks by offering delivery on Mondays and Fridays to schools and local businesses; orders are coordinated through Facebook, with a 10-drink minimum. “It’s a little pick-me-up in the winter,” Kappes said. “We make everything in the truck and we transport everything.”

Looking ahead into this year, Kappes said she’s eager for another busy season. “I’m looking forward to getting back out in the spring,” she said. “We look forward to the future.”

After spending decades in healthcare, owning a coffee truck has given Kappes and her family a connection to the local community.

“This was stepping outside my comfort zone to do this when you’ve worked in healthcare for so many years,” Kappes said. “When you’re working in healthcare, you’re dealing with the public, but this is a whole different ballgame. You want to please your customers, so you always want to keep them coming back, and I hope we do that. We try to keep everyone happy.”

Find Ruby’s Coffee Coach on Facebook to find out where the coffee truck will appear next.