Java Lava

Photo: Art Sidner

Mankato: Lava Java

Owner Kay Prescher said in a telephone interview, “I was always the person that wanted to be around everyone and make them feel happy.” The 38-year-old Wells native’s business, Lava Java, opened within the last year in the downtown Mankato Mall.

Although having two brothers and two sisters, Prescher was the youngest by eight years and essentially an only child. Her parents encouraged her to be independent, resourceful, and unafraid to experiment. “I was one of those people that wanted to know how things worked,” she said. “And I was a bookworm. When growing up, I read the entire fifteen-book Wizard of Oz series.”

She had planned on attending the University of Minnesota on an ROTC scholarship, but decided against it when the first Gulf War began. Over time, she attended North Dakota State, married, and eventually found her way back to Mankato in 1999. There, she “fell in love” with retail, became the manager of a jewelry store and graduated with a Minnesota State B.S. degree in accounting. She then worked for Abdo, Eick & Meyer.

Then the idea came for Lava Java. “I had never run a business before,” said Prescher. “So I went to the Small Business Development Center.”

In part, Lava Java’s menu has fresh salads and wraps: one favorite is the Greek wrap, which has feta cheese, a black olive, and special dressing; another is a pulled pork wrap or sandwich featuring a homemade sauce from Token BBQ in Mapleton. She said, “We serve at least six kinds of brewed coffee daily and a full-line of espresso specialty drinks. We also have smoothies made from all-natural fruit concentrate.”

What does she like best? “The people I see every day,” she said. “There are 300 people working in the building itself and many are regulars. I get worried if I don’t see someone that normally comes in. I love seeing everyone and knowing we are providing a quick easy healthy lunch at a very reasonable price.” The business is in the midst of a major expansion tripling floor space, and adding booth seating, a meeting room, bathrooms, and a small bar.

Lava Java
Address: 12 Civic Center Plaza
Hours: 7–2:30 M-F