Business Feature: Knead Café

For Grant Schoenlein, coffee is more than a beverage – it’s at the heart of his story.

As a young boy, he would often spend time drinking coffee with his grandfather. When I asked about that, he said, “Many of my memories with my grandpa involve coffee. I’d be helping him with something in his garage or sitting in the kitchen but grandpa always had coffee.”

A love for all things coffee turned into a passion for the coffee industry. But when he met Kyle O’Malley in college the two started dreaming about making their mutual love for coffee a business. 

Eventually, they launched Kamiak Coffee Company in 2018.

From the beginning, Kamiak was committed to delivering the highest quality coffee to customers.

Grant recalled how they got a big break when Cafe Artista committed to make Kamiak their coffee supplier. It gave them a foundation to build on, and today Kamiak is a highly respected coffee roaster. 

In 2021, Kyle decided to pursue a career in the military, and Grant continued on with Kamiak.

But the story didn’t stop there. 

In December 2022, Grant, his new business partner, Tyler, and Regina from Regina’s Baked Goods came together to blend what each business was already excellent at and elevate the coffee and pastry experience in the Palouse.

Regina is a professionally trained chef, and her baked goods are incredible. My personal favorite is their cinnamon buns. 

Tyler is a meticulous roaster committed to making sure every cup of coffee from Kamiak and Knead exceeds his own sky-high expectations.

Here’s what I notice when I interact with Grant, Regina, and Tyler. 

They all love their craft, they love coffee, and they love food. It’s their own love that drives their standards for excellence in everything they do.

Even the design of the cafe was carefully curated and custom-built to create an experience. 

Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality says that hospitality is all about the way you make people feel. Even more than your food or product, it’s about the feeling people have when they interact with your brand.

The food, coffee, and environment of Knead make you feel a certain way.

If you haven’t spent time there, you need to.

Get to know the owners, too, while you’re at it. At least one of them is there most of the time.

Open Mic @ One World Café
6:30–9:00 pm – Moscow
Weekly open-mic night. Often posted to IG same-week.
Link: https://www.owc-moscow.com/events

Paradise Creek Brewery – Run Club
6:00–8:00 pm – Pullman
Social running group + post-run pints.
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Paradise Creek Brewery – BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl)
6:30–8:30 pm – Pullman
Spin your own records; relaxed community night.
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Rico’s Smokehouse Pub — $1 off cocktails + $2.50 off burgers
Valhalla Bar & Grill — Happy Hour 3–6 pm
Hunga Dunga Brewing — Winter beer releases appearing on social media

Reed Chick @ Paradise Creek Brewing
6:00–8:00 pm – Pullman
Acoustic folk/Americana evening performance.
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Friday Music Night @ One World Café
6:00–8:00 pm – Moscow
Rotating local singer-songwriters.
Link: https://www.owc-moscow.com/events

Downtown Pullman Retailers – Holiday Hours
Many shops stay open later on December Fridays for holiday browsing.

Paradise Creek Brewery — Friday beer special (winter stout rotation)
Valhalla Bar & Grill — “Fry-Day” food deals (posted on IG stories)

Michael Kelly Band @ One World Café
6:00–8:00 pm – Moscow
Link: https://www.owc-moscow.com/events

Live Band @ John’s Alley Tavern
9:00 pm – Moscow
(John’s Alley posts week-of on FB; typical Saturday show.)

Rico’s Saturday Show
Usually 8–11 pm – Pullman
Band announced on social media week-of.

Moscow Winter Market @ 1912 Center (Likely)
Indoor holiday vendors; often Saturdays in December.

Merry Cellars Winery
Seasonal mulled wine + weekend tasting flights.
Pullman

Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre – Sunday Classic Film Series
4:00 pm – Moscow
Film title typically announced early in the week.
Link: https://www.kenworthy.org/calendar/

Moscow Public Library – Ornament Crafting (Recurring Sunday block)
2–4 pm – Moscow
(Exact posting varies week-to-week.)

Open Mic @ Rico’s
7–9 pm – Pullman
Classic Monday open mic; comedy + music.

WSU Finals Prep Week Workshops
Study sessions, stress-relief activities, extended tutoring.

Zoe Coffee & Kitchen – Family Night
Kids’ meals discounted.

One World Café — Closes at 5 pm for staff party
No evening programming tonight.

Trailside Taproom Trivia @ Paradise Creek Brewery
7–9 pm – Pullman
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Valhalla Trivia Night
8 pm – Pullman

Evening Brass Concert @ One World Café
6:00–7:00 pm – Moscow
Presented with musicians from the Lionel Hampton School of Music.
Link: https://www.owc-moscow.com/events

The Land – Taco Tuesday
South Fork Public House — Two for $25 Tuesday

Hunga Dunga Brewing – Wednesday Trivia
6 pm – Moscow
Weekly and usually full.

WSU CUB – Finals Week Late-Night Events Continue
Free snacks, crafts, lounge hours.

One World Café – Acoustic Night (Recurring)
Local folk/blues artists; lineup posted in the moment.

One World Café – Open Mic
6:30–9 pm – Moscow
Weekly community open-mic event.

Paradise Creek Brewery – Run Club
6–8 pm – Pullman
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Paradise Creek Brewery – Open Mic Night
6:30–8:30 pm – Pullman
Open mic + casual brewery hangout.
Link: https://paradisecreekbrewery.com/events/

Rico’s — $1 off cocktails + $2.50 off burgers
Valhalla — Happy Hour 3–6 pm
Paradise Creek — Pint discounts on Thursdays

Until next Thursday,

Keep the Faith