POCATELLO — When Mocha Madness first opened its doors at 546 S. Fifth Ave. in Pocatello, the majority of its monetary exchange for coffee was cash, not card.

And although a quarter of a century has passed since then — the coffee shop celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year — not much else has changed, which is a quality previous owner Randy Kern says has been the formula for its success.

“I think all of the managers over the years (and I) have been pretty fascinated about the number of coffee shops that have come and gone over these 25 years, and we’ve outlasted them all,” said Kern, who sold the business but still owns the building. “The minute you try to be something other than a coffee shop, you lose focus … and I think that’s probably why we’re still in business now, because we never really lost sight of what we want, which is to serve our customers the best cup of coffee in town.”

Kern sold the business to then-manager Angela Hollingsworth back in early 2022, although the pair chose to keep it relatively on the down-low so as not to cause a ripple in the community. Kern, who lives in Idaho Falls and couldn’t always drive down to the shop to help with day-to-day duties, explained he had leaned heavily on managers to run the business and gave them as much autonomy as he could.

Aside from this change in ownership of Mocha Madness, Hollingsworth said not much else is different.

The shop still uses Dillanos Coffee Roasters and Reed's Dairy milk as the main ingredients for its coffee. The menu and hours have stayed the same, dogs are still very welcome to visit the front counter for a treat, and its main focus has remained: ensuring that both its employees and customers are happy.

In fact, Hollingsworth, who worked at Mocha Madness for roughly three years before becoming owner, said it was her goal of maintaining consistency and caring for all who walk through its doors that impressed Kern, who was looking to pass the business into good hands.

“For the most part, students have been great employees and my managers have been great, and Angela took it to a whole new level,” Kern said. “She’s just been outstanding.”

“More than once I told him very directly that my entire plan is making sure that everyone is happy working here … so that he would never sell it to someone who would redo too much and mess with the heart of it,” Hollingsworth said. “This is the same dog-friendly, plant-loving, delicious coffee shop. Nothing has changed, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

In addition to preserving its consistent service, Hollingsworth hasn’t changed anything about the coffee shop’s interior details. Local artists’ work still hangs on the walls that anyone interested can purchase, and sitting up against the windows is the little house plant collection that’s “been here longer than anyone that works here,” Hollingsworth said.

Then there’s its four-pawed customers who visit frequently enough to have familiarized the scent of the shop’s coffee, which sometimes lands their owners in deep water.

“For some regulars their dogs are so well trained that (their owners) know in advance if they come home smelling like coffee without a treat then they’ll get in trouble with their dogs,” she said.

Another service that gets both customers and employees excited? Christmas Day coffee.

Hollingsworth and some employees will flip on the neon open sign, brew a few batches and greet customers who pop in to share in on the holiday cheer with a steaming cup before heading out for the long day of food, fun and family.

“Some employees will volunteer to work on Christmas because it’s fun to provide coffee for everyone that day,” she said. “Everyone is just so excited, and though we have shorter hours, you can just show up and see a bunch of very happy people all morning and then go home and do your Christmas.”

This close-knit relationship with customers and baristas is another aspect that Hollingsworth wants to preserve at Mocha Madness.

“I think there’s always been a tradition of caring about the baristas, which was started by Randy,” she said. “Because even though he wasn’t in town, he can rattle off so many past employees and what they’ve gone off to do. And even for owners that are more hands-on I think that’s pretty rare, especially after 25 years. So I think that’s the main part of it, is just treating people that work here well, making sure they have everything they need to do their jobs really well, and then they will treat people well.”

Mocha Madness is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.