Valley Graze Box

CLOSED TODAY ❤️
Valley Graze is closed today.

I’ve always said my priorities are simple:

Health. Family. Then work.

And today is a perfect example of putting those words into action.

Our team works incredibly hard. They show up early, stay late, survive the chaos, laugh through the crazy days and give so much of themselves to this little cafe.

But life outside these four walls matters too.

So today, we’re choosing family, rest, resetting and remembering that the café will still be here tomorrow. ❤️

Thank you for supporting a small business that believes taking care of its people is just as important as taking care of its customers.

See you tomorrow rested, recharged and ready to caffeinate Merritt. ☕️😂

✨ MEET KENZIE ✨

Technically, Kenzie is the newest addition to Valley Graze… but calling her “new” feels weird because after only three weeks, it feels like she’s been part of our team forever.

And honestly, we’re still slightly shocked she came back after her first day. 😂

Picture this:

Lineup to the door.
Only THREE of us working.
Not enough cows in Merritt to keep up with the latte production. 🐄☕️
Food flying out of the kitchen.
And us communicating mainly through eye contact and indecent words.

Most people would have gone home, blocked our number and changed their identity.

Kenzie came back the next day. 😂

That’s when we knew… she’s one of us.

She jumped straight into our September growing pains like she’d been here for years. Her customer service is bang on, her drinks are beautiful, she stays ridiculously calm when the rest of us are one minor inconvenience away from walking into traffic, and somehow she even laughs at our terrible humour.

BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE.

Apparently we didn’t just accidentally hire a great barista.

THIS GIRL CAN BAKE. 🎂🥧

Cakes. Pies. Treats. Custom orders.

And her secret weapon?
Gluten free AND dairy free baking.

And not the kind where you take one bite and immediately know something important has been removed. 😂

It’s ACTUALLY delicious.

So if you have a birthday, celebration, family gathering or special event coming up, swing by Valley Graze and chat with Kenzie about what she can create for you.

And go creep her baking page Spooky Cat Creations seriously, there is a whole other level of talent hiding behind our espresso machine.

Kenzie, thanks for surviving your Valley Graze initiation, putting up with our bad humour, accepting that “normal day” means absolutely nothing around here, and most importantly coming back for shift #2. 😂❤️

Unfortunately for you, we like you.

You’re stuck with us. 🤣

🍂 THANKSGIVING WEEKEND PLANS!

Too much turkey? Family already driving you a little nuts? 😂 Get out of the house and come get crafty with us!

Tiny Leaf Crafts is hosting a Bag Charm Workshop at Valley Graze spend the afternoon creating your own adorable, one of a kind bag charm. ❤️

📅 October 10th
⏰ 2:00–4:30 PM
📍 Valley Graze
💰 1 for $35 or 2 for $60

Grab your mom, daughter, bestie, sister or come solo and meet some new people. Get out of the house, sip something delicious, create something cute and enjoy a little YOU time before the Thanksgiving chaos begins. 🦃☕️✨

Relax • Create • Be Inspired

Spaces are limited!
📧 Email [email protected] to book your spot.

Favourite Customer Friday ❤️

RITA.

Ohhhh, where do we even start with this gem…

Rita and I go way back, old coworkers, work wife’s and one of my original cheerleaders.

She held my hand when I decided to jump face first into self employment…

Actually, that’s a lie.

She pushed me. Head first.
Probably yelled “MOMMA MIA!” on the way down and told me I’d be fine. 😂

So technically, if Valley Graze ever goes sideways, we all know who to blame.

Fast forward to today and Rita has basically appointed herself unofficial Valley Graze staff mother. You don’t even need to know her. If you work here, congratulations, you are now one of her “little muffins.” 😂❤️

New employee?
Little muffin.

Having a bad day?
Little muffin needs checking on.

Haven’t seen Rita in a while?
Don’t worry. She’s coming to make sure all her muffins are alive and behaving.

Life has thrown some pretty heavy stuff at this gal over the last few years, but somehow she still walks through our doors with that sparkle in her eye, the BIGGEST beautiful smile, and enough personality for approximately 14 people.

And you never have to wonder if Rita has arrived…

You’ll hear “MOMMA MIAAAAA!” from somewhere across town and know she’s getting close. 😂

Rita, thank you for pushing me into this crazy adventure, cheering me on ever since, and loving our team like they’re your own.

We love you, you crazy, beautiful gem.

Momma Mia… it’s Rita. ❤️😂

🍂 Kathy’s workshops are AMAZING! 🍂

Her last Fall Workshop is happening THIS SATURDAY! 🌻✨

If you’ve been thinking about joining, this is your sign! There’s still time to register and spend the afternoon creating, laughing, and soaking up all the cozy fall vibes. 🤎

Grab a friend and come get crafty with us! 🍁🌻

Email [email protected]
to reserve your spot.

🧡 Valley Graze will be CLOSED Wednesday, September 30th in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

A day to listen, learn, reflect and remember.

If you’d like to learn more about the meaning behind this day and why it matters, I have the link below.

canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

We’ll see you back at the shop Thursday morning. 🧡

Okay Merritt… we need to chat 😂☕️

We’ve had phone calls, messages AND multiple emails lately asking:

“Do you have cold foam?”
“Do you make shaken espressos?”
“Protein coffee?”
“Can you make this drink I saw online?”

Friends… we are Valley Graze. 🤎

We are locally owned. We are not a franchise, and we’re not trying to be one.

We make good coffee. We make real food. We bake, chop, cook, slice and create. We use local ingredients whenever we can, support other small businesses and take a ridiculous amount of pride in what comes out of our kitchen and espresso machine.

Could we chase every coffee trend? Sure.

But we’d rather be really freaking good at being Valley Graze.

Whole food. Good coffee. Community.

There are some fantastic fast-food spots in Merritt support them too!

And wherever you choose to spend your money, remember there are humans on the other side of that counter.

Be kind. Support local. And let small businesses be exactly what makes them different. 🤎

⭐️ FAVOURITE CUSTOMER FRIDAY

CARLOS!! ⭐️

Our back alley cat… but in human form.

We have no photo of Carlos.
Carlos has no social media.
Carlos has been inside Valley Graze approximately twice. 😳

Yet somehow… Carlos is one of our most consistent customers.

Not in the traditional buying things sense.

Carlos patrols the back alley.

Unloading groceries?
Carlos appears.

Taking out garbage?
Carlos appears.

Having a questionable day?
From somewhere down the alley…

“HOW YOU DOING?” In the thickest Italian accent.

Carlos has lived a LIFE and has the stories to prove it. One of our favourites is hearing about his days running one of the greatest steakhouses in Calgary.

Which also means Carlos has OPINIONS about food.

His number one piece of advice:

“You gotta use REAL ingredients. None of that crap.”

Yes, Chef Carlos. 🫡

He checks on us.
He keeps an eye on the shop.
He tells us stories.
He gives unsolicited restaurant advice.
And then, much like an alley cat, he disappears again.

No coffee purchased.
No loyalty card.
No Instagram follow.
No Google review.

Just vibes. 😂

But here’s the thing…

Favourite Customer Friday was never really supposed to be about who spends the most money.

It’s about the people who become part of our days.

And Carlos is absolutely part of ours. ❤️

So cheers to Carlos, unofficial Valley Graze security guard, alley supervisor, restaurant consultant and defender of REAL INGREDIENTS.

We’d tag him…

But Carlos doesn’t need social media.

Carlos has the alley.

Kathy’s workshop was a HIT! 🌻🍂

Think sunflowers, dried flowers, fall vibes, a late afternoon with friends, belly laughs and a little creative chaos. Basically, the kind of afternoon we all need. ❤️

And because Kathy is an absolute gem, she has graciously donated ONE seat for this Saturday’s Sept 26th workshop! 🥹👏

But we’re not picking the winner… YOU ARE!

Tag someone who deserves an afternoon of crafting it up with Kathy your bestie, mom, sister, coworker, neighbour… heck, tag the person who desperately needs to get out of the house. 😂

Tell us WHO you’re nominating and WHY they deserve the seat.

And YES there are still seats left for this Saturday! So if you’ve been looking for a reason to get out of the house, hang out with some great humans and make something pretty… THIS IS YOUR SIGN. 🌻🍁

Come alone, bring a friend, drag your mom out… just come craft with us. ❤️

Let’s fill the comments with some love!

Apparently the Farmer’s Almanac says today is the first day of Fall. 🍂

Cute.

But around here, Autumn is a year round problem. 😂❤️

She is basically the main artery of Valley Graze. If she goes down, we’re all just standing around holding coffees asking each other what Pat drinks.

What isn’t she good at?!

Names? Knows them.
Your drink? Already making it.
Multitasking? She’s doing 14 things while I’m still trying to remember why I walked into the kitchen.
Laughing? Loudly. 😂
Hugging? Whether you wanted one or not.
Keeping this place running? Unfortunately for her… also yes.

She knows your name, your coffee order, your kids, your dog, probably where you went on vacation and somehow remembers that you are lactose free!

Meanwhile, I’m the OWNER and I don’t know what day it is.

So cheers to the first day of Fall… and to our Autumn Operations Manager, professional yapper, human Rolodex, hug dealer and one of the biggest reasons Valley Graze functions at all. 😂🍂❤️

We’d be absolutely screwed without you.

Happy Autumn, Autumn.

Your season has arrived. Try not to let it go to your head.