How one Flint business owner finds opportunity at Detroit auto show

Ken VanWagoner, owner of The Good Beans Cafe in Flint, works as a barista for Mercedes-Benz for his eighth year on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 at the 2018 at the 2018 North American International Auto Show on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 at Cobo Center in Detroit. (Jake May | MLive.com)(Jake May | MLive.com)

A visit to the Mercedes-Benz exhibit during the Detroit auto show offered a snapshot into how the show influences Michigan businesses.

In the back corner, the German automaker set up a sleek cafe. Stark white counters and walls were canvases for the showcased coffee brewing equipment that - along with high-end snacks - beckoned guests.

The automaker wanted to show its good taste and European flair.

And it found a Flint businessman to help them do it.

Ken VanWagoner worked the coffee bar like a pro - which he is, given the fact that he owns one of Flint's treasured coffee shops.

Working for a few days every year at the Detroit auto show gives him a break from routine, a quick paycheck and a chance to work in a high-style environment that, in turn, really likes his coffee.

That, VanWagoner said, is a good match.

"It's a great atmosphere," he said. "It's a great environment."

It's also a front-row seat to the auto industry.

"I've watched Detroit come back for eight years," he said as he paused during a mid-morning rush. "It's an economic indicator, if you will."

VanWagoner is one of 3,500 temporary workers who makes the North American International Auto Show Possible every year, according to representatives at Cobo Center. They include models, floor assembly staff and the food service crews that automakers - like Mercedes - bring in to make their media and industry guests feel special.

VanWagoner's Good Beans Cafe is located in Flint's Carriage Town neighborhood, where the cafe sits at 328 N. Grand Traverse St. near downtown and Kettering University. He's run it for nearly 18 years, setting it up as he moved to the area for family reasons.

The auto show job helps give him perspective on running a coffee shop.

"It takes me out of the elements at my place," VanWagoner said.

Working dozens of hours per week as an independent coffee shop can be insulating. Stepping out of that pattern, even if it's just for a few days, can invigorate his spirit.

"When I'm here, I'm seeing trends or what the real world is doing."

More so, he said, it immerses him in what he considers his core business: "The true Italian experience."

He serves imported coffee, so an order for a cappuccino or macchiato gives him a chance to showcase his Lavazza coffee creations. "It's Italy's number-one  coffee," he says with pride.

In Flint, he provides what he describes as a "nostalgic, unique, coffee-drinking atmosphere."

His coffee shop is a warm atmosphere with natural wood, original art and staff encouragement for customers to sit around and enjoy the atmosphere.

The sleek and temporary coffee shop at the auto show is different, but he's just as comfortable there.

And his drive to deliver excellent coffee is the same. The orders will be the same, they're just made in a different setting.

Making people happy, he said, "is what the customer service industry is all about."

Before the 2018 NAIAS opens to the public from Jan. 20 to Jan. 28 at the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, automakers show off new models and make world debuts in scheduled press conferences.

View full coverage here.

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