The Birth of a Vision: Zen’s Founding in 2017
Walking into Zen Coffee’s flagship café in 2017, the aroma might’ve hinted at caramel notes and fruit-forward roasts—but what lingered was something deeper. Calm. Space. Intention. For Abby McLeay, founder and visionary behind Zen Coffee Company, the dream wasn’t just about great lattes or Instagrammable cups.
“My vision was simple,” Abby reflects. “To create a true ‘Zen’ space: a calm, inclusive environment for customers and a workplace where my team could thrive.”
Zen wasn’t built to scale like a tech startup. It was built to center people: baristas, patrons, and anyone who wandered in needing a moment of pause. From the beginning, Abby emphasized craft and education—offering flavor-forward drinks familiar to Omaha, while gently nudging customers toward origin stories, brewing methods, and a love of coffee stripped down to its essence.
Over time, that foundation evolved—not with speed, but with soul.
From One Shop to Many: How Zen Grew with Purpose
The growth from one Zen location to multiple cafes across Omaha and Lincoln wasn’t meteoric—it was thoughtful, textured, earned. And the most rewarding part?
“Creating something new each time,” Abby shares. “Every new location is a chance to design a fresh, unique space and meet new communities.”
But for Abby, the truest reward lies in people: building a family of baristas, watching them rise, and creating opportunities in a field often overlooked as transitional.
The Heartbeat of Zen: Building ‘Community in Coffee’
If Zen were a novel, its protagonist wouldn’t be the coffee—it would be the people. And the arc would revolve around connection. Abby defines “community in coffee” not as a marketing tagline, but as a lived reality. Sit in any Zen café long enough, and you’ll witness it: familiar faces, spontaneous conversations, real friendships.
“Our shops are filled with bloggers, politicians, students, business professionals, and neighbors,” Abby notes. “They interact in an equal, safe space where the common thread is their love of coffee.”
The magic, as she puts it, is simple: “Coffee brings people in, but it’s the community that keeps them connected.”
Zen Coffee and Sustainability: More Than a Buzzword
Sustainability at Zen isn’t a campaign—it’s culture. Long before it was trendy, Abby and her team embedded eco-responsibility into the DNA of the business. From reclaimed furniture in buildouts to composting and properly-sorted recycling, it’s not just policy—it’s practice.
“Recycling isn’t just a checkbox,” Abby says. “Our team takes the time to do it right. That’s what sets us apart.”
Zen minimizes single-use plastics, chooses sustainable vendors, and encourages customers to bring their own mugs. It’s granular, sure—but it’s also cumulative. A million small steps taken intentionally.
Dapper & Wise: The Roaster Relationship That Defines Zen
Zen doesn’t roast in-house—and that’s by choice. Instead, the shop’s coffee comes from Dapper & Wise, a roaster with roots in Cannon Beach, Oregon, where Abby and her husband got married.
That café, Insomnia Coffee, became a spiritual guidepost. Abby once hoped to franchise with them—but built something even better: a lasting partnership rooted in shared values.
“We’ve met the farmers. We’ve learned how ethical sourcing works,” Abby explains. “It’s not just great coffee—it’s sustainable, family-focused coffee.”
The Pandemic’s Pressure—and Zen’s Pivots
COVID forced the hospitality world into a blender. But Zen adapted quickly: curbside pickup, delivery via DoorDash, and an unexpected evolution—their bakery.
“We started baking in-house for cost reasons,” Abby says. “But it transformed our business.”
Sustainability practices had to pause, but the team worked diligently to bring them back. Out of necessity came transformation—and resilience.
The Drive-Thru Experiment: One Pacific Place
Opening a drive-thru was, for Zen, a paradox. How do you maintain “Zen” in 60 seconds? The One Pacific Place location became a crash course in fast-paced hospitality.
“It’s a different rhythm,” Abby admits. “But we still serve the same drinks, the same love—just with more urgency.”
Instead of diluting the experience, it sharpened their edge—refining how to deliver quality and warmth in the time it takes to read a text.
Pastries with Purpose: Zen’s Sustainable Kitchen
In 2020, Zen expanded its food program. What began as toasts evolved into toast flights. Now the bakery hums with house-made Pop-Tarts, fluffy scones, and monkey bread.
“People don’t just come for coffee,” Abby says. “They come for an experience that includes the plate, not just the cup.”
Food, for Zen, is not an afterthought—it’s the supporting actor who sometimes steals the show.
Learning from the Corporate Grind
Before Zen, Abby spent a decade in corporate coffee. She learned structure and discipline—but also suffered.
“I don’t talk about it often, but I was burned,” she says. “I sold my soul to it.”
Zen is her rebellion, her healing. The mission? Not luxury, but purpose. Her team comes first. Drama-free workspaces. Opportunities to fail and learn. And a culture of growth that feels familial, not hierarchical.
Zen by Design: How Ryan Shapes the Space
Behind every Zen space is Ryan McLeay—Abby’s husband, business partner, and construction whisperer. His background in building has allowed Zen to stretch budgets, repurpose materials, and design spaces with soul.
Think: neutral tones, live plants, local art, moss walls. Each location is shaped around its quirks. And everything—from natural light to furniture—invites you to stay.
Zen’s Influence on the Midwest Coffee Culture
Zen didn’t just serve better coffee—it raised expectations. Abby sees the ripple effect in baristas who now know how to cup, customers who ask where beans are from, and nearby cafés stepping up their game.
But perhaps more importantly, Zen redefined the café as a place of community-first hospitality—a stage for conversations, a school for coffee education, a place where people grow.
“Zen Coffee didn’t just change what’s in our cups—it changed what those cups mean.”
— Julia Eskelson, Omaha Food Magazine
A Full Circle Moment on International Coffee Day
On this day of global coffee celebration, Abby isn’t thinking of awards or profit margins. She’s thinking of her daughter.
“When Sophia called me after her first business class to talk about what she learned... I cried,” Abby says. “She’s the reason I work so hard.”
That moment, more than any accolade, defines the legacy of Zen.
