Bios
Matt Johnston
Hey everyone! First of all thanks for visiting our site. I’m Matt, one of the two original founders of Aspen Coffee.
Growing up in Tulsa, Kelly has always been one of my best friends. After graduating from high school we both attended and graduated from Oklahoma State University. It was becoming apparent that I was going to be stuck with this guy for a long time. So, we decided to open a business together. Our goals? Never have a “Real Job!” Oh, and have the best coffee around. Mission complete!
I’ve been married to my incredible wife Melissa for 13 years and we have two wonderful little monsters! Tatum 8 and Miles 5. I couldn’t ask for a more amazing family.
Besides coffee, my other passions are anything outdoors. Biking, running, climbing, fly fishing, etc.
Ok, enough about me. I want to know more about you. So, the next time you see me at Aspen, stop and say hello. It will make my day! After all, you are the reason we are here.
Cheers,
Matt Johnston
Kelly Lyda
Let’s see if I can satiate the curiosity that let you to this page. It’s important to know where your coffee comes from, but also who it comes from…After all this ain’t soda pop, it’s your coffee we’re talking about.
So let me introduce myself. My name is Kelly and I’m a coffee roaster.
I moved around a bit growing up. It was nice living in different places as a kid . And I have to say Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas are fun places to run amok as a kid. When I was 12 we settled in Tulsa (that’s in Oklahoma, USA for those of you in the further reaches of the WWW), and I met Matt and Russell who been two of my best friends ever since.
That’s right, I’ve known Matt since 7th grade. That guy has been around for everything from Jr. High Basketball to European Backpacking trips in college… from our first ski trip, to learning to fly fish…and Aspen Coffee.
After college I worked in sales for a ski resort for a few years, and it was clear that me, a coat & tie, and a cubical was not a tasty recipe. I packed up the skis, teamed up with Matt, built a coffee shop, and here we are.
What a great way to spend the day… Making coffee for all of you and finding a soul mate…what!!?? That’s right I actually and literally met the love of my life in the coffee shop. Yea!
Sara and I met while she was doing graduate work with black bears. No not about bears, with and amongst bears. I’ll show you some pics, pretty cool. We have been married since May 20, 2006
Found Scout at the coffee shop too. She wandered down the alley when she was just a puppy. What a lucky day, and what a great friend.
And some favorites…
| Color: | purple |
| Movies: | The Quiet man, Boondock Saints, Tombstone. (I’m your huckleberry) |
| Music: | Cash, Flogging Molly, Social D, RCPM |
| Food: | Mexican, elk, pizza |
| Cookies: | chocolate chip |
| Caliber: | .30 |
| Sound: | a mountain stream |
| Smell: | Ponderosa Pines and Spruce |
| Bug: | wolf spider |
| To do: | mtn. bike, flyfish, ski, hike, climb, hunt, “sample” craft beer & single malts, And occasionally being alone in the mountains |
Brandon Stukey
I grew up in the world famous, small town of Cushing, Oklahoma. That’s right. The pipeline crossroads of the world! After high school I packed up all my belongings and made the journey 30 miles down the road to Stillwater, which I would call home for the next five years. While enjoying my time (gross understatement) at Oklahoma State, I worked a couple part time jobs, that’s where Aspen comes in. I worked for Matt and Kelly for about two and a half years, at both the downtown and Fountain Square stores. During this time I developed a love for great coffee and a strong desire to turn that love into a career. In the meantime, I was developing another love that evokes some pretty strong desires…Enter Cianne. One thing led to another and before I knew it, we were engaged to be married. After graduating from O-State with a psychology degree and no ambition to use that degree (go figure), it was time for the real world. Cianne and I were married shortly after graduation in 2006. We then moved to Oklahoma City where she attended dental hygiene school and I got a job selling computers. Ever seen the movie Office Space? Remember the scene where they destroyed the Printer? You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that to my computer. After escaping that dead-end job after one year, I landed a much better job as a marketing representative for a company headquartered in Stillwater. After about 10 months I received a call from Matt, asking if I would like to join him and Kelly as a partner in Aspen. That decision was a no-brainer. It’s been a dream ever since. Stop by the Fountain Square store sometime and say hi. I would love to hear from you.