Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Lyn Geduldick.
Hi Jaime Lyn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I went to take my dog for a walk—and bought a coffee shop 🪷☕️💜
At the time, it felt impulsive. But looking back, it was the result of something deeper: a quiet recognition of alignment. My town was missing something—a true specialty coffee experience.
The moment it all clicked was ordinary. A friend was visiting and asked if I wanted Dunkin. I paused and said, “Not really.” Instead, we walked over to Juanny’s Cafe, just around the corner, for one of their amazing breakfasts. We didn’t have time to drive to Ridgewood or Montclair—our usual destinations for a proper cup of coffee.
While we were there, we asked about the juice bar a few doors down. We had known it was connected to the café, so we were curious. The answer was simple: the partnership hadn’t worked out.
I looked at my friend and said, almost instinctively, “Let’s open a specialty coffee shop. You run it—I’ll fund it.”
At the time, I had a thriving career in New York City and a love for coffee that felt more like a ritual than a habit. The plan was clean and logical: I would continue my career, and my friend would run the shop and become my partner.
But life had other plans.
I purchased the space just four months before COVID. We hadn’t cleared permits. We didn’t have a Certificate of Occupancy. The doors weren’t open—but the expenses were. For eleven months, I paid full rent and utilities to PSE&G for a business no one could walk into.
When we finally opened, I thought the hardest part was behind me. It wasn’t.
Shortly after we opened, things turned south with my job in the city. The partner I had opened the shop with left less than eight weeks in.
What had started as an inspired action in alignment became something much heavier.
I got crushed.
But somewhere in that weight, i grew.
There was no backup plan anymore. No “other job” to return to. No partner to lean on. Just me—and this thing I had created on a feeling.
So I stayed.
I learned everything—how to run the bar, manage inventory, fix what broke, greet customers with genuine energy even when I was exhausted. I made mistakes. I adjusted. I showed up again the next day.
And slowly, something began to happen.
People came.
Not just for coffee—but for connection. For a feeling. For a space that didn’t exist before, but somehow felt like it always should have.
What I thought I was building was a coffee shop.
What I was actually building… was a place for people to land.
That realization changed everything.
The shop became more than espresso and milk. It became a container—for community, for conversation, for healing, for creativity. It became a place where people felt seen.
And in the process of holding that space for others, Haus became its own heartbeat.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part wasn’t just one thing—it was everything, all at once.
I was paying for a business that couldn’t open its doors. Month after month of rent, utilities, and expenses for something that generated no income. At the same time, I lost the residual income I had relied on, the safety net that made taking this risk feel possible in the first place.
Then my operating partner left.
Just like that, the plan I built this on disappeared.
I’m a single mother of three. At home, my youngest, seven-year-old was navigating school through a screen while I was trying to navigate survival behind a counter that hadn’t even fully come to life yet. I was pulled in two directions—trying to be present as a parent while stepping into a role I had never prepared for.
Because the truth is—I had never been a barista a day in my life.
I didn’t know how to build and run a business. I had to learn structure—hiring, firing, cost of goods, systems, standard operating procedures. I knew how to believe in myself. I knew how to learn and grow.
But this?
This was different.
This was hands-on, in-the-weeds, no-one-is-coming-to-save-you kind of work. This was learning how to dial in espresso while carrying the weight of keeping the lights on. This was figuring it out in real time, with no margin for error and no room to step back.
There was no money. No cushion. No clear path forward.
Just pressure—and the decision, every single day, to keep going anyway.
We’ve been impressed with Haus Cafe & Zen Haus Cafe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What I built was never meant to be just a coffee shop. It’s so much bigger than that.
Yes, I love that we are experts in our craft. That we serve coffee at the highest level. That we place our intention into every Haus-made syrup, that we serve or freshly made nut milks. We are a specialty coffee shop. Yes, we care deeply about quality, ingredients, and the experience in every cup. But that’s not the thing I want people to remember.
What I built is a community.
A space where people can walk in exactly as they are—and feel better when they leave. A space where you feel inspired to connect.
At its core, my business is about community. It’s about creating an environment where someone can have a conversation that changes their day, sit quietly and reset, or feel a sense of belonging without needing to explain themselves. The coffee is the entry point. The experience is what stays with you.
What we do is intentional. From the way drinks are crafted to the energy behind the counter, everything is rooted in care. I didn’t come from a traditional barista background, so I built this differently. I focused on how it feels just as much as how it functions.
We specialize in more than just coffee—we specialize in atmosphere, in energy, in community. Whether it’s a perfectly balanced espresso, a thoughtfully crafted seasonal drink, or a simple moment of kindness during a busy day, every interaction matters.
What sets us apart isn’t just what we serve—it’s how we show up.
There’s authenticity here. Nothing is forced. Nothing is overly polished. It’s real people, real conversations, real effort behind the scenes to create something meaningful in a world that often moves too fast.
I’m most proud of the brand we’ve built—not because of how it looks, but because of how it makes people feel.
It feels safe. It feels warm. It feels like something you didn’t know you needed until you walked through the door.
And that didn’t happen by accident.
It came from every challenge, every setback, every moment where quitting would have been easier—but wasn’t chosen.
What I want people to know is this:
This business was built on inspired action, resilience, and heart.
It was built without a perfect plan, without prior experience behind the bar, and without guarantees. But it was built with intention—and that intention shows up in every detail.
If you walk in for coffee, you’ll get a great one.
But if you stay for a moment—you’ll understand what this place really is.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
If there’s anyone who deserves the credit for what Haus has become, it’s not just me—it’s the people who walked through the door and chose to stay.
It’s the customers who made Haus feel like home. The ones who came in for coffee and became part of something bigger. The ones who showed up on the hard days, the slow days, the uncertain days—and kept coming back.
It’s our community. Our town. The families, the conversations, the familiar faces that turned a small space into something meaningful.
It’s our schools that supported us, believed in us, and brought life into our space in ways I could have never planned.
It’s the surrounding towns—and even the people who travel from far away—just to be here. That kind of loyalty, that kind of intention, is something I don’t take lightly.
And it’s my staff—truly, the heart behind the counter. The ones who showed up when things were uncertain. The ones who believed in me, in this vision, even when it was hard to see the path forward. They carried this space with me. They brought the energy, the care, the consistency. They are the reason Haus feels the way it does.
Haus was never built alone.
It was built by every person who chose to walk in, to show up, to believe in it—and in me.
And that’s what makes it more than a business.
That’s what makes Haus our home.
Pricing:
- $6.00 specialty coffee
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.getsauce.com/order/site/haus-cafe/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehauscafe?igsh=Y2wxbTRjZ3pieWJr&utm_source=qr
