Before We Open — Episode 006

Dark Kiss Coffee, in owner Diana Bier's own voice.

If you ask me when Dark Kiss Coffee began, I could point to the day I brought home a little trailer from Okotoks.

But the truth is, it started much earlier than that.

I grew up in the Czech Republic around restaurants. I helped with the work—switching kegs, cutting onions, doing the kinds of jobs that needed to be done. I did not always appreciate it as a child, but hospitality stayed with me. I learned how much it matters to make people feel welcome, comfortable and cared for.

Years later, I helped build my husband's home inspection business. I loved watching a business take shape, but I always carried a dream of building something of my own. I loved coffee, but what I really loved was hospitality: the chance to create a place people wanted to return to.

On a family ski trip in Montana, I discovered Cowgirl Coffee. It was more than a convenient place to pick up a drink. There was personality, warmth and a sense of community in the experience, and I could see how that kind of business could work at home.

I explored bringing the Cowgirl Coffee concept to Canada, but the franchise process across the border became too complicated. Nicole, the owner, gave me her blessing to create my own version instead. We still support each other from a distance.

Once my husband's business was established, I decided it was my turn to go for it—even though it was still the COVID period and opening any new business came with a mountain of rules and uncertainty.

One day I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and saw a trailer in Okotoks. It was about eight and a half feet by ten feet and had been used as a tool trailer. The inside was completely gutted.

Most people probably would have seen an empty box.

I saw Dark Kiss Coffee.

I texted my husband, withdrew the cash and drove south to bring it home.

I designed the entire layout. I had help from professionals who understood metal work, food trucks and food trailers, and my husband—who is a carpenter—helped turn my ideas into something real. We worked hard on the insulation and every practical detail so the trailer could handle Alberta winters, summer heat and the appliances needed to operate year-round.

It may be small, but every inch has a purpose.

That small space still creates one of my favourite misunderstandings. Every so often, someone parks, opens the door and walks right into the trailer expecting a sit-down café. Then they see us moving between the drive-through window and the walk-up window and realize there are no tables. The look on their face makes me giggle every time.

Starting the business was exciting, but it was also overwhelming. There were laws, permits and COVID rules to understand while I was trying to build something I had never built before.

I was not alone.

The support I received from the Lighthouse, the Chamber of Commerce and people throughout Leduc was incredible. They were welcoming, helpful and generous with their time. That support mattered in the beginning, and it still matters now.

Community has never been an extra part of Dark Kiss Coffee. It is part of the foundation.

I wanted Dark Kiss Coffee to feel familiar from the first visit. I wanted a place where nobody felt judged and where people of every background and identity could feel welcome.

I just love people.

The menu started small, with coffee. Then it grew with smoothies, lattes, espresso, iced drinks, frozen coffee, cakes and new ideas that came from listening to the people at the window.

There is no ordering speaker here. You come to the window and talk to us. If you are not sure what you want, we ask questions. Hot or cold? Iced or blended? What flavours do you enjoy? Are there allergies, sensitivities or dietary needs we should know about?

Then we build the drink together.

If we have the ingredients, the drink does not have to be on the menu. Every customer is different, so why should every drink be the same?

Over the years, people have brought their lives to the window. We have laughed together and cried together. We have watched families raise babies, grieved losses and met grandparents who later were no longer there.

That is the part of this business that stays with me.

Earl and Sue were among the first people in line when I opened. They kept coming back—almost every day—and, over time, they became part of my family. We talked about life, I loved holding their dog and we built the kind of relationship that has very little to do with what is in the cup. Now that they are moving back to Nova Scotia, I am happy for them and sad to see them go.

Kathryn and Mike have been there through the years too, supporting Dark Kiss Coffee in person and online. What means the most is that they understood what I was trying to build. They told me that when they came to the trailer, they felt at home.

That is the biggest award a customer could give me.

Dark Kiss Coffee has grown beyond the little menu I started with, but I still want that growth to create connections.

We serve bagels through our partnership with Bagel Bar, and we make room for local bakers to share their work. When a customer needs a large order, I am happy to send them directly to the baker. Supporting local should help other businesses grow too.

Khatuna has been baking for Dark Kiss Coffee for the past five years. Now she and Abir have opened Pastry Heaven in Leduc, and I am incredibly proud to see them take that step. We continue to support one another, because supporting local businesses has always been part of my philosophy. When one local business grows, that is something worth celebrating.

One of the biggest new chapters is roasting our own coffee here in Leduc. We bring in green coffee beans from Brazil and roast them locally, learning what each bean can become and experimenting with flavours our customers will enjoy.

At Christmas, that spirit of experimentation became a 12 Days of Christmas Coffee Advent Calendar. Families could share twelve different coffees—light, medium and dark roasts, K-Cups and seasonal flavours such as caramel maple, peppermint, cinnamon bun, vanilla and cake batter. It became one of our biggest holiday hits, and I am already thinking about what else we can try.

I listen to what people ask for. I experiment. I keep learning.

And I have fun with it, because having fun is important.

That growth is opening another door too. Dark Kiss Coffee has added a second, smaller trailer to the fleet. Beginning next year, I plan to book it for weddings, private parties, small venues and community events.

It feels like the next chapter: bringing the same hospitality, fun and feeling of home people know at our window into more places around the community.

Not every regular customer walks up on two legs.

Through our partnership with the locally owned Bone & Biscuit, we keep dog treats ready for the four-legged visitors who come to the window. Dogs are the most common, but we have also welcomed cats, goats, baby calves and horses.

As I like to say, I don't stock hay here—not yet, anyway.

If you've never visited Dark Kiss Coffee before, Diana has one piece of advice:

Don't be nervous.

There's no ordering speaker to figure out, and there's no pressure to know exactly what you want.

Just come to the window.

Tell the team what kinds of flavours you enjoy, and they'll help create a drink that's right for you. If they have the ingredients, they're happy to make it—even if it's not on the menu.

For Diana, every customer is different, and she believes every drink should be too.

Whether you're stopping by for a handcrafted coffee, a smoothie, a fresh bagel, or simply a friendly conversation, her goal has never changed:

And if you happen to bring your dog...

Don't be surprised if there's a treat waiting for them too.

Because at Dark Kiss Coffee, it's never just been about the coffee.

It's about making people feel at home.

Visit Dark Kiss Coffee

📍 6420 50th Street, Leduc, AB
📞 1-780-292-4669
🌐 darkkisscoffee.ca
📘 facebook.com/Darkkisscoffee
📸 Instagram: @darkkisscoffee

Hours:
Monday–Friday: 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Planning a stop in Leduc? Swing by the window and say hello. Diana and the team would love to make you your favourite drink—or help you discover a new one.