Local couple's Branson coffee shop is a dream come true

Expresso Branson is widely regarded as one of the area's best drive-thru coffee venues, and a perfect place to get beverages on the go.

Owned and operated by Ethan and Kelli Slabach, Expresso Branson opened in August of 2018. Ethan handles the shop's day-to-today operations while Kelli is in charge of the creative side of the business, like menu creation, marketing and social media.

"We love great coffee and have been fortunate to experience some truly excellent coffee in different places," Kelli explained. "We wanted to bring that same quality and experience to Branson. We were Branson's first locally owned drive-thru coffee shop on the strip. We're also Branson's first shipping container building, which makes us pretty recognizable around town."

Kelli spent much of her childhood in the Branson area, attending Branson Elementary School, and later enjoyed being home-schooled. Ethan grew up in Indiana but moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of 18, where his family served in the mission field. It was there, in a prime coffee-growing region, that Ethan developed an appreciation for coffee. The couple met in Murrieta, California, where Ethan worked on the maintenance crew of the college campus, and Kelli served as head female counselor for a summer camp held at the college. Ironically the two met in the campus coffee shop. Kelli later began working as a barista in the coffee shop, and the two spent quite a bit of time there while they dated, drinking coffee and getting to know one another.

"Some of our earliest memories together happened over coffee, so in a way it's always been part of our relationship and our journey," said Kelli.

After marriage and the birth of their first child, Ethan and Kelli relocated to Colorado, where he worked as an appliance repair technician. But the couple felt called to return to the Branson area.

"We moved back in 2018 and my family opened Expresso that August," Kelli noted. "Ethan was still doing appliance repairs at that time while my brother ran the shop. In 2022 my brother decided to pursue other interests so Ethan stepped in to run Expresso. Since then, he has built a strong team culture, maintained our original recipes, created a fun work environment and built great relationships with local entertainers, which inspired our Branson All-Stars drink menu. Thanks to his hard work and an incredibly supportive community, we've been honored to be voted Branson's Best Coffee Shop five years in a row."

Expresso Branson likes to focus on premium coffee and espresso drinks, but they offer a variety of non-coffee drinks, including teas, cocoas, lemonades, dirty sodas, smoothies and more.  

Said Kelli, "We use a top-quality custom coffee blend you can only get here, along with high-quality syrups and sauces, so every drink is consistent and excellent. Another thing that makes us unique is our Ozarks-themed signature drinks and our Branson All-Star menu, inspired by local entertainers. Some of our most famous drinks include the Spirit of 76 Mocha, Captain Jack Latte and the Mr. Branson Latte, created in honor of Doug Gabriel, one of Branson's longest-standing entertainers. Fan favorites also include the Cowboy Cup Mocha (inspired by Clay Cooper), the Showstopper Latte (inspired by the Haygoods) and the Wildflower Honey Latte (inspired by the Peterson Family). Our seasonal menus also create a lot of excitement throughout the year."

When not working, Ethan enjoys hunting, playing guitar, serving on his church worship team and leading a men's Bible study group. Kelli likes to sew and leather craft, leads a women's Bible study and homeschools the couple's four children, who range in age from 2-13. She is also active in the Homeschool Community and the children love to take classes at Championship Martial Arts in Hollister. Together, the family enjoys spending time on the lake with grandparents, visiting Silver Dollar City, Frtiz's Adventure and the many fun things Branson has to offer, while making priceless memories. Both Kelli and Ethan are very family-focused and community-minded.

One way that Kelli and Ethan give back to their community is with Expresso Branson's Digital Rewards program.  

"Customers can sign up at checkout or by texting 'JOIN' to 1-844-646-4353. Every purchase earns points toward free drinks, and we send occasional promos and specials to members," explained Kelli. "We also proudly offer a military and first responder discount to thank those who serve our country and community."

Expresso Branson is located at 2010 West 76 Country Boulevard, in the white shipping container building behind Taco Bell. Just look for the big red X. Current winter hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but the shop will soon return to their regular hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For current hours or updates, you can follow Expresso Branson on Facebook, Instagram, Threads or X or visit their website, www.expressobranson.com.

"We truly love this community and building our life and business here has been a dream come true," Kelli added. "We're incredibly grateful for the customers who support us, encourage us and pray for us. We're excited to keep serving Branson and see what God has in store for Expresso Branson."