Dreaming Big and Celebrating Two Decades of Coffee
BY ERIN BURKETT ’20
4 MIN. READ
Current students at Anderson University and recent alums know Mocha Joe’s as a household name. But it wasn’t always this way. Will Hullinger ’02, a transfer student from a large school in Michigan, saw a need and decided to meet it with the help of his community.
It’s not common in higher education to find extra, unmarked money in a budget. However, it’s not impossible. When approached by Brad Bowser, former director of student activities, in 2001 and asked what he would do if he had a certain sum to play with, Hullinger immediately knew it should be used to create a cafe.
“There’s a lot of value for people who are exploring who they are, at a college age, and asking themselves what they are going to be about and put their energy towards. I think there’s a lot of value in having a space to process that,” said Hullinger.
Good coffee, an on-campus gathering place outside of the residence halls, and opportunities for students to be creative —his idea had potential but Hullinger couldn’t be a one-man show and expect success. Supportive staff, excited students, and invested community members made it possible for Mocha Joe’s to open its doors in 2002.
“Until the doors open you don’t know if anyone is going to show up,” Hullinger recalls the opening night of Mocha Joe’s. “The line was down the hall and people flooded in. We hadn’t bought enough milk!”
Hullinger sought training at a commercial coffeehouse to gain experience and learned about coffee roasting and service through a generous pastor and partner at Muncie Alliance Church. A strong proponent of intentionally building community, this humble student wouldn’t have dreamed what his little cafe idea could become. He visited some years later and shared, “it’s remarkable how it’s grown and changed. It’s really impressive.”
Now a full-service, student-run coffeehouse, Mocha Joe’s serves as a gathering place for students doing homework, small class sessions, game nights, concerts, and club meetings. It is connected to The Alley, the former AU bowling alley that now holds pool and tabletop games, lounge seating, and also serves as a popular congregating spot.
“When I walked in I was totally floored by the advancement of it, the growth of it. The change in the set up, I thought it was beautiful,” Hullinger said. “It was overwhelming.”
Hullinger’s entrepreneurial spirit has carried him forward in his own wealth management business and he remembers the early days of Mocha Joe’s fondly, sharing it taught him tenacity and the importance of community. “By no means did I do this on my own. It took an army of folks who caught the vision I tried to communicate and decided they would throw their energy behind it too.”
As the coffeeshop recently eclipsed 20 years of serving students, with no intention of slowing down, he hopes students will continue to have real conversations, take risks, and create the change they want to see on campus.
Visit Mocha Joe’s in the bottom of Olt Student Center during the regular semester calendar.
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.