Since 2017, Common Grounds has become more than just a coffee shop in Gridley – it has grown into a place where community, tradition, and connection come together. Katrina Reinhard and her husband Kyle opened Common Grounds because they love serving people and had experience in hospitality from running an Airbnb. They chose Gridley because they lived here and picked the specific location based on demographics.
Katrina learned to make her famous coffee and pastries from her German heritage and from making German foods while growing up. Her mom and grandma also catered when she was growing up, so she got to follow along with the process. Now she gets to carry on with the tradition, catering for various events in the community. In the beginning, the cafe didn’t offer food, but as the demand grew, they gradually started adding food items such as bagels, muffins, and other pastries. They also offer a full breakfast and lunch menu. Perhaps they are most known for their outstanding pies. They typically bake 60 a week. However, during holidays, they have baked over 1,000 in a week!
During COVID, surprisingly, business thrived. “People could go for a drive and talk to someone through the drive-through window,” Katrina stated. She also talked about how much of a blessing it was for her to be there for lonely people and how she could “see how God worked through that and use it for His glory.”
Because of its growth, in 2023 Common Grounds expanded its location and got its whole goods license, which has helped them spread their name and allowed their products to reach numerous people that otherwise wouldn’t have known about them.
Their success has also led Katrina to consider expanding to other locations. She explains she “jokes about expanding, but I want to stay local. I love this community and EPG.” She also shared how she doesn’t want to spread herself too thin and wants to continue loving and caring for everyone who walks through the door.
Over the past eight years that Common Grounds has been serving the community, Katrina says she has grown a lot in her faith, and that it has 100% impacted their business. She also explained how much of a blessing it has been to connect with the community in a way that not everyone can. True to their name, she stated, “We get to find common ground with people.” After eight years of serving Gridley, Common Grounds continues to prove that coffee can bring people together in more ways than one.
