WYLD Sage celebrates grand opening

By: 
Nathan Oster

Jalissa Olsen didn't set out to open a coffee shop, but there she was on Saturday morning, surrounded by family, friends and other members of the business community, cutting a ceremonial ribbon in celebration of the grand opening of WYLD Sage in the Historic Hotel Greybull building.

Olsen moved into the former Aspire Coffee Roasters location around the first of January, assuming the lease from Scott Boeckner who moved to Colorado.  Olsen is selling Boeckner's coffee, so other than some fresh paint, removal of roasting equipment and the name, little has changed.

That's been by design.

"I was in school getting my nursing degree — that was always the goal," Olsen said in a brief conversation before the ribbon cutting. "I was coming here all the time. I'd study, use the internet.  Then one day, Scott told me he was looking for help. I thought, 'Why not? I could use a part-time job.' 

"I ended up applying and fell in love with it.  Every day I was waking up excited to go to work. I've worked a lot of jobs. There's always a day here or there where you don't feel like going in.  But I haven't felt that way since I started here. 

"So when Scott told me he was either going to sell it or close, I knew I didn't want it to close, nor did I want to find a new job. I decided to go for it."

Olsen and her husband, who is from Basin, relocated from Buffalo.  They have triplets and wanted to live closer to family.  Greybull has been their home for the past 1 1/2 years.

She had no previous experience as a barista. 

"Everything I know, I learned here," she said.

As for the origin of the business's name, Olsen said there's a sign with "Wyld" on it between Sheridan and Buffalo. "I loved it and thought it was so cool," she said. "And the sage, that was one thing that struck me when I moved here — just how much of it there is around here.  I like the smell of it and it's a perfect tie in to the Wyoming theme."

Olsen currently has two employees — Jori Friesen and Tera Yost. 

Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, although they're likely to expand for the summer months.

 

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