Caffeine Boost: Plaid and Pearls Provides On-the-Job Java for Construction Workers

Plaid and Pearls Coffee may be the most exclusive coffee shop in Indianapolis.

In fact, you can’t get in without a badge–or personal protective equipment. Situated in a trailer inside the turnstile of a Capitol Avenue job site, Plaid and Pearls is the official coffee provider of the complex new downtown Indianapolis Hospital project.

“When someone is having a stressful day, I think it's great that they know they can pop over to the coffee trailer, get their caramel latte with cinnamon on top, and have a little boost to go back and handle their very important, very demanding jobs,” said Keri Hughes, founder and CEO of Plaid and Pearls Coffee.

Aaron Perry, Gilbane’s project director, believes that “little boost” can mean a lot on a project as large and complex as IU Health.

“Caffeine is really important to maintaining morale,” he said. “Giving people those kinds of amenities is meaningful."

That’s why Aaron was in pursuit of a coffee vendor when he walked into an Indy Black Chamber networking event in January 2022. Keri was there, too, but had missed Aaron’s opening remarks about the project and potential engagement opportunities. As Keri made her way around the room, sharing that she was in the process of starting a coffee business, someone pointed her in Aaron’s direction.

“At that time, I owned an espresso machine, but I had never worked at a coffee shop; I was determined to make my business work,” she said.

And she did. Keri emailed Aaron that night, and by the fall, Plaid and Pearls was up and running on the job site–a passion project that had been a lifetime in the making.

“I have loved coffee for as long as I can remember," she said.

Growing up, Keri spent a lot of time with her grandparents–coffee lovers and early risers who would sip from their mugs around the table at 4 or 5 a.m. As young as five years old, Keri would hear them and make her way to the kitchen to steal sips from their drinks.

“I loved my grandmother’s coffee. It was sweet and delicious and warm–all the good things–and that’s where my love of coffee comes from and my passion for creating the same feeling for the people who buy my drinks,” she said.

Keri typically arrives on the job site before 6 a.m. Space is limited in the coffee trailer, so Keri often has her arms full of supplies as she arrives to open the shop. She brews up to three gallons of coffee that she delivers to the administrative team inside the main building then returns to the trailer to brew custom drinks for workers on the job site. Another part-time barista joins her at 7:30 a.m. to meet the morning rush.

Keri learned drink orders before she learned names, but now she has both down.

“You’d be surprised. I have sold lavender lattes and peppermint teas on a construction site,” she said. “It makes me so happy that they can come up and order whatever they want, and they know I'm not going to give them any flack for it.”

Last summer, fresh fruit smoothies were a hit. In the fall, it’s caramel apple cider. Gingerbread lattes were the job site favorite around the holidays, and now the “new boo latte” is making the rounds with four unnamed flavors.

“I won’t give out my secrets,” Keri said, laughing.

When she’s not on site, Keri has a mobile coffee cart that she takes to flea markets, community events, and catering gigs. She is working to open a downtown cafe of her own, but for now, brewing and serving on the job site of the complex new downtown Indianapolis hospital project keeps her busy. 

“I've watched them go from two stories to three, four, and five, and I think they’re on six now,” she said. It's a unique and priceless experience.”

To learn more about Plaid and Pearls, visit plaidandpearlscoffee.com or follow them on Instagram @plaidandpearlscoffee.