As an elementary student, Blake Delaney, owner and operator of Vinyl Grind, aspired to have his own record store. Decades later, he has made that dream a reality with a spin.

Vinyl Grind, originally owned by Ben Hull, is a mix of a coffee shop, record store, concert venue and oasis for coffee and music lovers alike. The cafe is home to thousands of records, which Delaney sources from vendors across the country and are available for purchase by customers. Vinyl Grind also sells stereo systems and turntables, along with a diverse selection of beverages and baked goods.

The coffee beans Delaney uses to make his signature espresso drinks are sourced from Broadway Roasting Company, which is Kansas City’s oldest roasting company. Delaney said Vinyl Grind is the only cafe in Ames that Broadway Roasting will sell to.

“We’ve used them from day one, for 12 years here,” Delaney said. “I order my beans on Monday and they roast that day, and they get here on Wednesday each week… That’s one of the reasons our coffee is so good. Small-batch, for me, is the way to go.”

When selecting the records for the cafe, Delaney said he looks for a diverse collection of music that will appeal to a wide range of audiences.

“I have to remember that I am not the keeper of all music,” Delaney said. “Everybody is into something different. We have everything from classical to country to comedy to rock and roll and, when we can get it, metal and punk and alternative 80s. I like a full-rounded roster of music.”

Delaney also said he looks for cover art that stands out to him.

“A lot of the time, I look at an album cover,” Delaney said. “Based on what the album cover looks like, I might buy it… that cover looks so cool, it’s gotta be good music.”

During the pandemic, Delaney said Vinyl Grind was closed for over a year.

“I didn’t know if we were gonna open,” Delaney said. “Nobody knew, so we were all just keeping our fingers crossed together.”

One feature of Vinyl’s menu is the option to order a “deep-cut,” which is a barista’s choice drink. Delaney said this option is the most popular and is different for every customer because it’s based on what the barista thinks a customer would like.

“I really go off somebody’s personality,” Jonathan Zugay, a barista at Vinyl Grind and senior in political science, said. “Like if somebody comes in and they’re super happy and just projecting themselves… I feel like a salted caramel white chocolate or something that sounds happy would be super good… It’s really based on what signals they’re giving me.”

Delaney said he rarely receives negative feedback from his deep-cuts, and when he does, he makes the customer something else.

“If you don’t like what we give you, we’ll make you another one for free,” Delaney said.

Vinyl Grind also serves as a concert venue for local bands to perform periodically.

For more information about updates from Vinyl Grind, visit its Facebook page.