Hello Midwest and Beyond,  I am Dawn, and I am just a little "Ray of Oat & Coffee Sunshine" with a side of Toast. I am the coffee connoisseur, the-momma-the wife- the grandma & dreamer for this family coffee & toast with a side of Oats business!  I absolutely love all things coffee, art, scooters & community. I fell in love with coffee houses in 1997, when I walked into this quaint house in Richmond, IN that was converted into serving coffee and was known as, Java Jazz. 

Haul'N Oats is a dream that has come true. I am a former educator & now retired with the dream of owning and running my own coffee house with people I love who inspire me (my family being the biggest supporters).  Coffee is the backbone and we love making it  fancy with a hint of tradition.

Now go and read about the Baker, our beautiful daughter Nicole, who is truly the heart & soul to our foodie creativity...

I have always been interested in food. I loved going out to eat as a kid and was willing to try most anything whether it was my grandma's pickled beets or a sardine sandwich. I probably wasn't normal, but that is ok. This spirit is still with me today. I knew from an early age how food is one of the treasures in life.

I didn't start exploring the culinary arts myself until my twenties. At that point in my life, I found myself collecting recipes and cookbooks. I tried making Thai soup and a tasty chicken potpie. My spice cabinet started filling up. I also became somewhat obsessed with The Food Network and famous chefs. Although I knew I would never be an Iron Chef, I respected and was impressed by the knowledge and skill these people had. They put so much thought into their art, and I appreciated that. In my little world of Muncie, IN,  I was completely satisfied with the praise I would get from cooking a really good dinner for my family or the sense of accomplishment I  felt when people raved about a dish I made at a carry-in. 

Today, I find myself absorbed in researching the health benefits of food and incorporating this knowledge into the ingredients and methods I use in the kitchen. Honestly, my idea of a fun day is a trip to a specialty grocery store. Food is a subject that keeps giving. There is so much to know, and, in my mind, there is nothing like eating something that is not only delicious but also good for you. 

Sharing a meal or drink together enriches our relationships with each other. That is our philosophy here at Haul'n Oats. We love community. We desire to be a place that feels like home. The drinks and treats we dream up are to give you an experience... with a healthy boost. 

So, in the meantime, I'll be working on new ideas for our sweet coffee shop, teaching English in my small midwest town, and raising my foodie son, Jasper. Eat and drink well and be well!

This is our crew. The ones who bake and brew.
Click on the image to scroll through and see us all.

Dawn Donson - Nicole Neely - Kim McKenzie

River Feeney - Ray Krider - Elia Buss

And Look At Us December Babies!!!

Three of us have the same day - 12/14

We are missing our Scorpio - Elia, but we'll get more pics of her and the crew! 

We LOVE a really good drink. We strive to work with amazing roasters to introduce to our consumers some pretty amazing coffees along with delicious teas and syrups.

Tony Greatorex of Red Rooster Roasters is our main pick for our espresso with its chocolatey, smooth, triple roasted trifecta, Old Crow with a 93 cupping score.

Frank Reber of Caffeinery is our main pick for our house blend. We love his heart and science of coffee. He is a Muncie Local and he came up with the perfect blend for our particular food menu and we so appreciate him.

J.T. Copper, Jolie and Theda, are two amazing women with a dream of designing and creating some quality syrups using simple and pure ingredients that make coffee, cocktails and desserts excellent.  J.T. Copper's syrup has won two Good Food Awards and we celebrate them and our personal relationship with them for all of our drinks.

Haul'N Oats Specialty Coffee and Toast is inspired to be the mixologist of coffee & teas, so we set out to make our own Brown Sugar Sunshine & Chai syrups, which are both our number one drinks along side of the Jasperglow, Golden Tumeric & Mexican Mocha.  We believe in a Village and Love Making Dreams Come True For Everyone!