Listen to this story:
March didn’t just bring in mushers for the Iditarod, it also marked the grand opening of a new coffee shop in Nome. Bustling with fresh offerings, Aurora Kuupiaq Corner is already a local favorite.
The coffee shop started with just an espresso machine. Now, regulars stop by for macarons on Mondays and cinnamon rolls on Tuesdays.
Running the new shop is Nome resident Rayne Lie. The former Bering Tea & Coffee employee said the store opened just in time for the Iditarod.
“We pretty much began everything from the ground up, getting the sales figured out, getting the menu figured out,” she said. “It's been quite a process to get things up and running, but we capitalized on the beginning of Iditarod for sure.”
The shop is a family affair, with Rayne Lie handling the business and brewing while her sister, Kastyn Lie, handles the baking.
Kastyn Lie also teaches at Anvil City Science Academy in Nome. She said balancing her job and side hustle isn’t an easy task.
“It takes a lot of prep in the morning, and currently I'm making items that can rise while I'm away at work,” Kastyn Lie said.
The shop is owned by Bering Straits Native Corporation, but it's Rayne Lie's vision that brought the space to life.
“They gave me artistic freedom to choose the name, how to design the layout,” Rayne Lie said.
The sisters also designed the shop’s logo, which features a coffee mug resting on an ice floe set against the backdrop of northern lights.
Rayne Lie said her most popular items are white chocolate mochas, caramel frappes, and, of course, Kastyn Lie's baked goods.
“People are usually waiting out the door in the beginning before we open just to get her baked goods,” Rayne Lie said.
Monday to Thursday has a set menu with a little twist on Fridays.
“She's been switching it up for Friday, so it's usually like yummy cakes or fruit bars or cinnamon bread,” Rayne Lie said.
Rayne Lie commended her barista, Mackenzie Goodwin, for pushing through a crazy first week.
“It was just Mackenzie and I doing about like $1,500 in sales each day, and we had really limited hours,” Rayne Lie said.
Aurora Kuupiaq Corner is located inside the Aurora Inn and is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and noon to 4:00 p.m. on weekends.
