The Bean brews morale and community for Soldiers in Poland

POZNAN, Poland — The first thing Soldiers hear when they walk into U.S. Army V Corps headquarters room 205 isn't the hiss of an espresso machine or the sound of coffee pouring into a cup. It is a greeting.

“Welcome to The Bean.”

Inside Camp Kosciuszko (Camp K), Poland, where the duty day can move from one task to the next with little room to pause, the 510th Regional Support Group’s Soldier-run coffee station became something different. Coffee bags line the wall, artwork fills the room, and music carries through the small coffee stop. Soldiers step in for caffeine, conversation and a few minutes of peace before the day picks back up.

At The Bean, the coffee is only part of the story.

Founded by U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan May and Capt. Zachary Robinson, The Bean opened Jan. 6, 2026, as a donation-based coffee station for Soldiers and staff at Camp K. Since then, it has served more than 1,700 drinks, raised more than $7,500 for the unit’s Cup and Flower fund and become something unmeasurable: a place where Soldiers could step away from work, talk with familiar faces and feel part of something familiar.

“The Bean started as an idea to make a warm and inviting place,” May said. “We took the opportunity of the space within the room to build out art and just a place to sit and reset. That’s where the community started to build.”

The idea began taking shape in December 2025, when May and Robinson started decorating the space with mirrors, artwork and other details that made the room feel less like a standard military office. What started with a coffee machine and a few visitors eventually grew into a space filled with plants, donated coffee bags, Soldier artwork, music and regular customers.

Robinson said the idea began before the unit arrived in Poland. He already knew Camp K had limited infrastructure and even fewer Soldier-tailored spaces.

“We both like coffee,” Robinson said. “We both wanted to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. From that, we simply started with, ‘Why don’t you come over and get some coffee?’”

From there, the project snowballed. A drip machine became an espresso machine. Coffee turned into cappuccinos, sun tea, cold brew and nitro-style options. The artwork grew. The donations grew. The regulars grew. So did the purpose.

May illustrated that the purpose became clear as The Bean evolved.

“Coffee is the invitation, but people are the product,” May said.

That focus on people became part of the routine. May said visitors are greeted every day with “Welcome to The Bean,” a phrase meant to signal the start of a short escape before returning to work.

For Soldiers and staff members inside the building, that short escape mattered.

U.S. Army Sgt. Derek Combs highlighted that The Bean became something he looked forward to during the morning routine.

“I’ve been going to The Bean for the last couple months,” Combs said. “It’s an amazing pick-me-up to look forward to in the mornings.”

U.S. Army Sgt. Jewelina Zubiate echoed that sentiment.

“I can say it’s one of the best parts of my day,” Zubiate said. “Capt. Robinson and May are very friendly and uplifting.”

Robinson said The Bean gave Soldiers what he described as a “third space”, somewhere that was not their office and not their living area, but a place to relax, decompress and connect.

“We’ve given people an escape outside of their office, outside of their home, someplace that they can come just to hang out,” Robinson said. “I think that’s probably our biggest achievement, is we give people that third space where they can relax and decompress.”

The coffee brought people through the door, but the details inside the room helped encourage them to stay. Hanging near the Soldier-made artwork is a smiling cartoon coffee bean known as Beanie the Bean. The mascot, created by May and Robinson, became part of The Bean’s identity and helped give the coffee station a recognizable brand across Camp Kosciuszko.

Robinson said the artwork and branding helped make The Bean recognizable, but the regulars made it meaningful.

“I think what I enjoyed the most is the people,” Robinson said. “We really try to get to know each of them individually. We have regulars. We know exactly what they’re going to order before they even walk through the hallway.”

Those relationships helped The Bean become more than a coffee counter. Soldiers donated coffee, equipment, decor, time and money. They helped clean, restock, serve drinks, create artwork, develop drink ideas and keep the space welcoming.

The station also became a fundraiser. May added that The Bean raised more than $7,500 for the unit’s Cup and Flower fund. Donations came in multiple currencies, including dollars, euros, pounds and other currencies found throughout Europe that have been collected from the multinational community around Camp K. That money went directly into improving the station.

“We reinvested in a drip coffee machine purchased locally,” May said. “It really improved the speed that we could serve coffee.”

The Bean also received recognition from leaders and units across the community. The 366th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment presented a certificate of achievement, and May and Robinson received several challenge coins from units across the camp.

Still, the project was not without challenges.

After a busy March supporting exercise Warfighter 26, May said The Bean reached its highest month of donations, bringing in more than $2,100. But soon after, changes in schedules and workload made the project harder to sustain.

“The workload, plus trying to maintain the happy customer service, ended up being emotionally hard and overwhelming,” May said. “This was the point where we weren’t the personality of The Bean anymore. We were overwhelmed.”

The dip in support forced May and Robinson to adapt and keep the project moving. The challenge reinforced what they had already learned: The Bean worked because people kept showing up for it.

That is what makes the next chapter difficult.

The Bean is scheduled to close its doors July 17. May said he and Robinson wanted to pass down the torch, especially because it had become part of people’s routines. Although the incoming unit has not committed to taking over the project, the founders plan to close it with the same personality that helped build it.

May called it a “clean and happy closure” and said they plan to bring in local pastries and food for the final day. For Robinson, the closing is bittersweet.

“I’m a little sad that we’re closing,” Robinson said. “They originally came in for the coffee, but I think they came back for the people, for Captain May and myself, and it’s going to be sad to leave all these people and not be able to have this daily morning interaction with them.”

Even after The Bean closes, both founders said they hope the idea continues, whether at Camp K or another Army installations. Robinson said it does not have to be a coffee shop.

“I think the Army in general can really benefit from a small community-run organization that promotes Soldier morale and unit cohesion,” Robinson said.

May commented that his advice to anyone considering a similar project is not to wait for everything to be perfect.

“If you have an idea, follow that idea with action,” May said. “Don’t overcomplicate the pursuits.”

The Bean may close this month, but the idea behind it is not tied to one room, one counter or one coffee machine. For the Soldiers who built it, supported it and made it part of their daily routine, The Bean showed what can happen when someone sees an empty space and decides to turn it into something truly special.