All Hans on Deck: The Hans family works together at their businesses, Urban Prairie and Mission Board Games

Hanging out with their friends, playing baseball, painting, fishing … sophomore Ella and freshman Mitchell Hans could list a thousand things they’d rather do than work at their family’s businesses — whether it’s Urban Prairie, their parents’ coffee shop, or Mission Board Games.

Ella and Mitchell’s older brother, Mason, became an entrepreneur at 22 in Dec. 2016 when he decided to channel his passion for board games into co-opening a storefront on Johnson Drive called Mission Board Games, with the help of his parents. He grew up playing Risk with his dad and uncle and in college he traded Pokemon cards with his roommates.

Two years after Mason opened Mission Board Games, his shop neighbor decided to sell her coffee shop. Mason’s parents jumped at the opportunity and bought the slot adjacent to their son’s. After looking at different coffee roasters, checking out other coffee shops’ menus and reading up on starting a business for months, Julie and Jason opened Urban Prairie in Sept. 2018. They decided to connect the two stores so that people could drink their daily coffee over a game of Monopoly. 

“It was surprising because months before this coffee shop existed I wouldn’t have thought we would ever have a coffee shop,” Mitchell said.

But quickly, the family’s work space became a second kitchen — a pitstop for midday snacks and leisure time. Ella and her friends park themselves in the corner between the _ and the _ as they drink coffee and study. She has a sense of ownership knowing her parents own the shop. Mitchell munches on a quiche or burrito before running out the door off to East.

When they aren’t busy with school, Ella, Mitchell and their older sister Abby, a senior at KU, clock in. On weekends and during the summer, the siblings teach customers how to play Candyland and serve up lattes for the caffeine-craving customers.

“We all have our own little roles and it definitely takes a village,” Mason said. “I get a lot of help from family and friends and customers.”

The siblings eventually saw the value and enjoyment of working at the stores. Through working together as a family, the Hanses have found each other’s strengths and put them to use.

“Mason is obviously more of the game person and I’m more of a people person,” Julie said. “Ella and Mitchell have learned from watching and being a part of it all of the work that’s involved in making a business.”

The adults do most of the behind-the-scenes work — Julie hires and trains employees, while Jason takes care of the business and legal side of things for both stores. Getting to know the regulars and advertising uncommon games like Pandemic, where players fight disease around the world, is Mason’s job at Mission Board Games. 

Strong communication has made all the difference in uniting the family, according to Julie. They have periodical family meetings to fix whatever problems come up during the week. 

When Ella misses a shift at Urban Prairie, Julie explains how that’s unfair to the other employees. In the future, the kids will have bosses who aren’t their mom. And when that time comes, skipping a shift will result in greater consequences.

“I’m very thankful that I get to work with my kids,” Julie said. “It gives me a chance to be around my two grown children more than I would otherwise. And it’s fun to watch my two younger kids learn work skills that will be helpful [later] in life.”

Collaboration has also been key to the Hans’s success. To improve sales at Mission Board Games, Mason goes to Mitchell and Ella for advice on appealing to high school students, Abby for attracting college students and his parents for catering to adults.

Even on Christmas Day or over Thanksgiving dinner, the businesses run the conversations. They can’t stray away from talking about what’s working and what’s not at the shops.

“It’s hard to turn it off and not think about it when we get together and hang out outside of work,” Mason said.

Although the businesses have consumed their lives, the Hanses wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Having a common love of game playing and coffee has brought us closer,” Julie said. “They just bring people together, not only our family but also the community.”