ANNIKA WALL, TRUMPET MANAGING EDITOR
Nestled in downtown Waverly is The Wild Carrot. While it may not be marketed as a coffee shop, it offers what Toni Fisher, the owner, calls a nurturing atmosphere, along with coffee.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t have anybody, so this is our ‘Cheers,’ but we serve soup instead,” Fisher said.
Wartburg students may not recall the 1993 sitcom, but like “Cheers,” The Wild Carrot provides nostalgia for many of its older customers. Before opening in 2011, the place was a jewelry store.
Many of the older male clientele sit at one of five tables to reminisce about when they picked out a “sparkler” to propose to their future wife. The Carrot has also boasted international customers who visit Waverly from Ireland and Australia and may be drawn to it by the “Iowa nice” demeanor.
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Regardless of what Fisher and longtime server Rebecca Raatz say, the duo’s charisma makes smiling effortless. Because of that, it should not come as a surprise that they make sure everyone who comes in leaves full, even if it means picking up the customer’s tab, or that they call customers when a particular item comes in.
“It’s about providing for someone,” Fisher said. Raatz added that customers love being taken care of. “They love that you know their order and being called by name,” Raatz said. “They want to know that you remember what they like.”
Knight Wire 
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