Drew Jonson, founder and owner of Waynesburg Coffee Company, was looking for a way to involve Waynesburg University students in his business as well as teach them something useful.  His conclusion is to host a Coffee Making 101 class Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Waynesburg Coffee Company location.

Essentially, Jonson wants to provide students with the ability to make coffee on their own, in their own dorm rooms.

“If [the event] gets them out mingling and then they also can take something with them that they can use,” Jonson said.

Many people enjoy their daily cup of coffee, but Jonson recognizes that a large portion of them do not truly know the most effective methods.

“Seeing this task and seeing them do it, but until you actually physically do it, it seems like you can’t,” Jonson said. “You just have to know proper times, proper temperatures, proper grind.”

The event will demonstrate the coffee making process from start to finish: what the grinds should look like, different grind settings, brewing, all the way to the finished product. The students will then separate into teams with the task of brewing their own pour-over coffee.

“We’ll help them know how to get a really good cup of coffee really simply,” Jonson said. “I mean, some people may like camping trip but think, ‘Oh, no, I can’t bring my Keurig, so I can’t have coffee’ but all you really need is coffee and water.”

In fact, the brewing methods Jonson plans to address are faster and simpler than brewing with a Keurig yet still deliver a good “cup of joe.”

“If you want the best cup of coffee, you’re going to grind fresh,” Jonson said.

Students who attend the Coffee Making 101 event will have the opportunity to achieve their own pour-overs, since that will be the method taught, as well as a discounted half pound of ground coffee.

Besides wanting to give back to the university community, Jonson is interested in reaching more students and getting them familiar with his shop, in essence, an “interest gathering.”

If the interest is there, Jonson is cued up with plenty of other ideas to involve the students with hands on events. In fact, he expressed a desire to make instruction classes a semi-regular event with other types of instructions such as French Press, authentic tea from real tea leaves, simple food items and a plethora of cold drinks when the weather warms up.

Assistant Director of Student Activities Ryan Smith emphasized the uniqueness of the event specifically because the Student Activities Board [SAB] doesn’t typically get the opportunity to become involved with businesses closer than Pittsburgh or Morgantown.

“Students are generally interested in coffee,” Smith said.  “And, I mean, it’s something anyone can learn.”

Smith said the students who sign up to go will meet on first floor Stover at 3:50 p.m. to walk down together, but they can also just meet up at the Waynesburg Coffee Company at 4 p.m.

The cost is $10 which covers the instruction, the pour-over students will be given to take back with them and the coffee served during the event.

Anyone who wishes to attend can sign up on myConnect.