Ashley Dougherty has been a dedicated member of the Blueprint team for the past two years. She currently serves as shift lead at Blueprint Coffee Delmar.

WHAT PROMPTED YOUR INTEREST IN COFFEE?

I moved to St. Louis in January 2020 and started visiting Blueprint Watson fairly frequently. It seemed like a great place to be, and I eventually submitted my resume hoping they were hiring. Later, I got word they were doing walk-in interviews at High Low, so I raced over, and I guess I made a good impression! 

I’ve worked in the service industry for a long time, actually about ten years, and I’ve done nearly every job in a restaurant. My first experience as a barista was in a tiny cafe inside a massive historic (also haunted!) antique store in Clinton, TN. It was definitely low-budget and not particularly special, but I knew I had fun doing it. My interest in coffee is that while being a barista seems like a standard service industry job, it also requires a deeper knowledge and understanding of what you’re doing, where it came from, and how it got here, especially with Blueprint. My position at Blueprint makes coming to work feel like I’m doing something real and lasting.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT THE CAFÉ, AND WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB?

I currently work as a shift lead at Blueprint Delmar. On a day-to-day level, my favorite part of my job is making great drinks and hanging out with my even better coworkers. On a deeper level, working at Delmar has given me a great sense of community, and since I’ve only been in St. Louis for about two and half years during a pandemic, that’s very valuable to me.

.

IF YOU COULD ENJOY A CUP OF COFFEE WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE?

That’s a really hard question, but I think I’d have to go with one of the hosts of my favorite true crime podcasts. Really anyone who can sit down and tell me some really good ghost stories!

WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO COFFEE ORDER AT BLUEPRINT?

Definitely a Chai with Espresso.. or without! Iced or hot, it’s the best Chai around! The Espresso + Tonic is pretty dang good too.

WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF COFFEE?

I like to think of myself as a general craftsperson. My main passion is ceramics,  I even have my own studio (wheel and kiln included) in my partner’s basement. I  also enjoy fiber arts, weaving and cross stitching, painting, and printmaking. I would love to get better at sewing and carpentry, I just have to find the time! I’m very passionate about interiors and making my home a reflection of myself. I love decorating new spaces and thrifting decor. I actually have a degree in interior design! 

I’m also a big fan of true crime and spooky stories about ghosts and cryptids. You can usually find me listening to a creepy podcast, especially while doing chores. My favorites are Jim Harold’s Campfire, My Favorite Murder, Sinisterhood, and Last Podcast on the Left. 

ANY FUN FACTS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOURSELF?

I have an identical twin sister who lives back home in Knoxville, TN! I’m also a fan of professional wrestling, specifically AEW. My partner was a fan as a kid, and we started watching together, and now I’m hooked! 

HOPES, DREAMS, DESIRES FOR THE FUTURE?

While I love where I work and would miss everyone, I hope to one day, in the not-too-distant future, be able to run my business (residential ghost) full time. I would love to spend my days making pottery, creating art, participating in as many craft shows and markets as possible, taking on freelance design work, working toward maintaining a more consistent online presence, and developing more wholesale relationships.

It’s always been my dream to be self-employed in some way! I’ve been working towards building my brand and my following for a long time. Also, I  would LOVE to paint a mural! That’s been a huge dream for me, and I would love to check that off the list of firsts.