Our Story
Coffee, Community, and Campus
THE OP was born from a simple question: what if the best coffee shop in the region was also the heart of a thriving campus?
The Origin
A great coffee shop is more than a place to buy espresso. It's a third place — a community anchor where conversation flows as freely as the coffee. A gathering spot for locals, a welcome center for tourists, and a daily ritual for campus staff.
The Black Hills Consortium saw an opportunity: build a campus coffee shop that serves everyone — GrowWise employees grabbing their morning latte, tourists stopping on their way to Custer State Park, locals meeting for conversation, and students finding their study spot. Not just a cafe, but the living room of the entire campus.
THE OP sits at the gateway to Custer State Park, one of the most visited natural destinations in America. With 14.9 million annual tourists passing through the Black Hills and a thriving campus community, it's positioned to be the region's favorite gathering place.
Custer, South Dakota
15 acres · BHC Campus · Gateway to Custer State Park
0.0M
Annual SD tourists
0M+
Custer SP visitors
Founded by Luke Alvarez
Luke Alvarez is the founder of the Black Hills Consortium and all 11 of its entities. A South Dakota native with experience building enterprise SaaS at scale (Instructure/Canvas), Luke returned to the Black Hills with a vision: use technology and community to revitalize rural America.
THE OP represents the human side of that vision. While GrowWise builds the technology and Seed Foundation builds the programs, THE OP builds the relationships. It's where you go when you want to feel the energy of what BHC is creating.
Our Philosophy
World-Class Coffee
We don't settle for mediocre. Locally roasted, hand-brewed, and made with care every single time.
Campus Life
A hub for campus employees, students, and visitors. Employee perks, community events, and daily connection.
Community First
Every design decision, every event, every menu item asks: does this bring people together?
Black Hills Rooted
Local sourcing, local hiring, local partnerships. THE OP exists to strengthen the region, not extract from it.
Our Journey
Part of Black Hills Consortium
THE OP is one of 13 entities in the Black Hills Consortium — a $52M initiative to revitalize rural America through technology, media, education, and community.
BHC website coming soon