Mark, Tayleene, Ethan and Evan

Who We Are

Scraps is owned and operated by Mark and Tayleene Van Norden, of Larned, KS.  We are both small town natives, Mark from Leoti, KS and Tayleene from Sterling, KS.  We met while working at Via Christi in Wichita, KS, and were married 8 months later in March 2005.  In September of 2005 we moved to Larned, and the following summer began thinking and dreaming about opening our own business.  The fruition of those dreams and plans came on April 3, 2007, when Scraps opened (see Our History and Our Story for more details).

The motivation behind Scraps was several things.  First, Tayleene and I both have a love for coffee, and had dreams of owning a coffee shop.  Second, as explained elsewhere, Tayleene was used to the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, and desired a place to apply her abilities, while still being able to care for a child full-time.  Finally, and now most importantly, we wanted to create an environment that would be welcoming to people from all walks of life and all backgrounds.  A place where people could find common ground with others in the community.  A place where relationships could be built and developed.  We have felt strongly, from the initial planning stages until now, that Scraps was to serve a higher purpose:  to foster development of  community among citizens of Pawnee County, to foster the development of community among followers of Jesus Christ in Pawnee County and surrounding areas, as well as to serve as a place of healing for those who are downtrodden.

We hope you will join us, and that you will find the atmosphere at Scraps as inviting and rewarding as we do.

In Christ,

Mark and Tayleene Van Norden