Cheryl Wells – Owner

Cheryl and her husband Mike reside in Le Mars, Iowa. Cheryl has a passion for people and for connecting, so she opened Habitué Coffeehouse & Bakery on March 29, 2010. Cheryl’s vision was to create a space for those that came to Le Mars looking for a place to have a wonderful cup of coffee, as well as delicious baked goods and food, and relax in a beautiful atmosphere.  This vision and dream came as a result of her opening a ministry center called The Living Center in 2001 located right next door to the coffeehouse, which houses a nonprofit called Side by Side Ministries. There have been many changes over the years to the coffeehouse because of the progress that was needed. What an adventure it has been, and also what a challenge. It has caused growth for Mike and Cheryl, as well as the entire team. Cheryl leads and is very involved in the heart and the oversight of the business, with her management team carrying the day-to-day operations.

Favorite Quote :

“Pay attention to the details and excellence will come.” – John Maxwell

Sherri Schmitt – Operations Manager

Sherri Schmitt lives in Le Mars with her husband, Ron. She oversees and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Habitué. She has been an integral part of the Habitué family even before the store was opened. Many of our recipes were refined and honed in her home kitchen while the store was being built. One of Sherri’s greatest gifts to the business is being able to look ahead and see not only what needs to be done to operate our store with excellence but also to create enthusiastically satisfied customers while doing it. You can often find her before the store opens, savoring a bulletproof coffee made with our Signature Blend coffee, even on her days off! When Sherri isn’t working at Habitué, you can often find her attending sporting events her grandchildren are involved in or spending time with her family.

Amy Butler – Assistant Operations Manager

Amy lives in Hawarden with her husband Corey. Amy started her time at Habitué when our doors first opened in 2010. She was instrumental in putting things together and developing our team. Amy’s love of coffee started when she would drink coffee at Grandma’s house as a young girl. Granted, it wasn’t the coffee she’s accustomed to drinking now, but Grandma made it and it was made with love! Amy is such a blessing to Habitué because she looks at everything with an eye to see if there might be a different way to approach it or get it done with excellence. Amy is detail-oriented and passionate about ensuring our guests have the best experience. When Amy isn’t working, she’s most likely to, in her own words, “be at some sporting event.”

Favorite verse:

Ellen Danko – Kitchen Manager

Ellen Danko lives in Le Mars with her husband, Cody. Ellen’s career in the coffee industry started when she was still in high school. Hired at Habitué when she was 15, Ellen was trained in all areas of the store. Ellen is an accomplished barista, has a sweet rapport with our guests and friends, and is our Kitchen Manager. Ellen can quickly look at a recipe and help develop it into something that our guests will not only enjoy but want again and again. When a guest comes in and sees all the delicacies in our bakery case, Ellen has had her hand in the preparation of those for everyone’s pleasure. Because of her love of coffee, Ellen is also a vital part of creating and developing new coffee and coffee-related recipes. When she doesn’t have her apron on, you can often find her at home with Cody and their dogs, Stanley and Millie.