Bear Lake Coffee Co. Has a Home!

We are excited to announce the venue of our first coffeehouse: 2980 Hwy 63 Barronett, WI 54813.

This will be the start of a new era for us! In April this year, we went online roasting and fulfilling orders through a partnership out of Atlanta, GA. The past months have been full of learning, connecting with the coffee community, and dreaming of what could be. In this blog post, I will share a little about the history of our first venue and our vision for our first coffeehouse & roastery.

A little history of that building

The building was built in the early 1900s and operated as a general store known as "Arnes Hardware & Grocery."

Figure 1 – The site of our first coffeehouse was known in the 1920s as Arnes Hardware & Grocery store, in Barronett, WI

Back in the day, these general stores often served as an essential hub for their communities, functioning as the town's post office, grocery and hardware store! I found an old advertisement flyer for this store (see below)—the language captures the essence of their customer service.

Figure 2 - Arnes Hardware & Grocery grand re-opening flyer, from the 1920s

This old building is beautiful, and we are excited "to make it a pleasant place for you to meet friends and hope that we can merit some of your patronage." 😊

Our vision

Figure 3 – Our coffeehouse & roastery vision

• Coffee Roastery & Lab
  We will have a sustainable coffee roaster and offer a collaborative space in which to learn and connect. Here, we will be able to pursue our passion for roasting the world's best ethical and sustainable coffee, which can be enjoyed at the coffeehouse or in your home, local café, or business.
  
  
• Local Business Partnerships
  We aim to develop local partnerships for food, host events, partnering with local/regional artists, and supporting local charities.
  
  
• Café + Kitchen
  We'll have a café & kitchen that will operate seasonally, serving up coffee drinks and delicious treats made with local ingredients.
  
  
• Solar Pergola & Garden
  In our lot next to the building, we will have an outdoor space with a solar-powered pergola that will provide energy for year-round use. The goal is that the store will be a net producer of energy, meaning we will produce and return more electricity to the power grid than we use. We plan to enjoy this space in the warmer months, planting a garden and enjoying good times outside!
  
  
• EV Charging
  We will have Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers that will be available to founding coffee subscribers at no charge. We will be exploring the feasibility of installing level 3 fast chargers in the coming years, but this will require more research, partnerships, and planning. The vision is that patrons can come from near or far to charge their electric vehicles and relax in the coffeehouse.
  
  
• A Third Place for Everyone
  Everyone deserves a third place! We all spend so much time at home and work. 'Third places' is a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg and refers to places where people spend time between home ('first' place) and work ('second' place). They are locales that promote social equity by the exchanging of ideas, having a good time, and building relationships. Our coffeehouses will be a 'third place for everyone'—whether you’re passing through town or live nearby. 

We expect to open in 2024.

Exciting times ahead!   

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Sources:

• https://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe/Marketing/Files/CO-SR-Metering-and-Billing-FAQs.pdf
• https://www.howtogeek.com/793471/ev-charger-levels-explained/
• https://www.pps.org/article/roldenburg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Oldenburg