Ridgefield local Stefan Munsey is adapting his love for science fiction and coffee into a battery-powered, sustainable coffee cart business: Starship Coffee.
Munsey’s fascination with science fiction began when his mother played her favorite shows, including “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and “Eureka.” Munsey enjoyed making coffee at a young age and served as a barista early in his career.
“Through [those shows] and making her coffee every day, it turned into one of my favorite things to do when I was over at her place,” Munsey said. “So that’s where I believe it really started.” Munsey earned a bachelor’s degree in digital arts from Indiana State University and is now an offsite project manager on weekdays. In his time off, he tinkers to improve his coffee machine’s programming and takes it to local events.
He began building his coffee machine after moving to Ridgefield three years ago, drawing inspiration from his favorite science fiction shows.
“The inspiration behind the [prototype] was the show ‘The Expanse.’ That was one of my favorite shows,” Munsey said.
Munsey’s machine is almost fully controlled through a Raspberry Pi computer, which he programmed. When an order is taken, a QR code is printed and placed on the coffee cup. A camera in front of the syrup dispenser reads the QR code, which tells the machine the type and amount of syrup to produce. The computer dispenses the order in a matter of seconds once the order is read. Munsey enjoys customers’ fascination with the machine’s semi-automated process.
“My favorite part of doing this is people coming up and [saying], ‘Hey, this person’s doing this and has all these cool things on their cart, and they made it all themselves. I could do that,’ ” Munsey said.
Additionally, the software on the espresso component of his machine, made by Decent Espresso, can be programmed for various purposes. As well, the espresso process can be controlled from Munsey’s cell phone and displays the water pressure and temperature of the coffee as it is being made through an LED screen he programmed. The monitor also shows time and weather apps through Munsey’s phone and can play short animated moments from “Star Wars” films.
Munsey created a few prototypes before landing on his final design. The smart syrup dispenser took eight months to build and program alone, and the rest of the cart took another eight months. Completing the syrup dispenser and fitting the espresso machine’s LED screen were the most challenging aspects of the project for Munsey.
“I custom-cut acrylic in my garage to make [the screen] fit,” Munsey said. “Acrylic doesn’t cut easily, I shattered the first one.”
Munsey’s coffee machine is composed of many recycled materials. He cleaned metal pieces found in scrap yards and cut into the front of the table to complete its sci-fi look and repurposed sink faucets to create the machine’s syrup taps. The table’s lower lighting came from a ceiling light of an Indiana school that shut down. The coffee machine and lighting are powered by batteries charged by hydropower.
“The original prototype’s table was [too] tall. We threw that in the back of a car for the first few events, and I was like Ok, let’s figure out a better way to engineer a lighter version…’ This [current] one is a Costco workbench that already has the folding mechanisms [needed],” Munsey said.
In the long term, Munsey wants to open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in the Ridgefield area and display local digital artwork he or others create. Reflecting on his own experience, he recommends aspiring business owners evaluate their available time and resources before starting their journey.
“It’s kind of like a plant, and you should only start it when you have enough money and attention to be able to water that into a flourishing plant,” Munsey said.
Starship Coffee usually serves customers at Ridgefield’s First Saturday Events and will make its next landing at the vendor and farmers market at Davis Park, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 6. Learn more about Starship Coffee at starship.coffee.
