New owners pledge to maintain Kaya vibe
Emily Miller, left, and Abigail Chambers are the new partners in charge of Kaya Coffeehouse.
When she attended Central Michigan University, alumna Emily Miller remembers frequenting Kaya Coffeehouse for a "Black Sheep" with vanilla soy milk.
After hearing Kaya was for sale in February, Miller contacted the owners that day. After interviews through Skype and the acceptance of her offer, Miller is now the owner of the shop.
Upon selling Kaya, the former owners, the Cotton family, wanted to make sure whomever took over the shop would maintain the "Kaya vibe." Miller is certain that will stay the same.
"Kaya is a noun, a verb, an adjective," she said. "It doesn't change. It's just Kaya."
Miller graduated from CMU in 2014, with a Bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship and a minor in law. Her partner, Abigail Chambers, will be transferring to the university. The partners are relocating from Houston, Texas, where Miller worked at a marketing firm and Chambers went to school. Though Miller bought the business, Chambers is there to assist her with the shop.
Though relocating to Michigan was not something Chambers planned, she said for Kaya she was willing to make the move.
"Kaya-wise, I'm happy to move to Michigan," she said. "We both spent a lot of time here."
Miller is set on maintaining the trendy vibe of Kaya, including holding open-mic nights on Wednesdays and "Old Time Jams" on Tuesdays during the school year. She said the only changes as of right now are structural.
"It's getting updated a little bit," Miller said. "There will be a new cash register system and we will take Apple Pay. The rest for now is staying the same old Kaya."
The possibility of relocation is also on Miller's mind, as Kaya's space is a rental and the entire building is up for sale. Her lease is year-long, but Miller said it's something to think about.
"I think we will be good for now, but you never know," she said. "Someone could come in and buy the building."
Miller said customers will get used to seeing her and Chambers work in the shop. She said the look of Kaya, hours and prices will stay the same.
"Kaya is Kaya," she said. "There is no reason to ever change it."
