When Dennis and Lori purchased the building at 131 County Road B, the plan was to fix it up and make an investment in the community they love. Somewhere along the way, that straightforward flip became something much more personal.
“We originally purchased the building as a flip and a way to invest in a community that means so much to us,” Lori said. “But the more we worked on it, the more I started thinking about something I had always wanted to do, run a restaurant.”
Retirement gave Lori the opportunity to pursue that idea, although slowing down was never really part of her plan.
“I knew I would need something to keep me busy after retirement,” she said. “This felt like the right time to take something I had always wanted to do and finally make it happen.”
That long-held goal is becoming Village Café, a new breakfast and lunch destination opening in Coleman. The café will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, October 10, and will be open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dennis and Lori want the menu to give people a reason to try something different. Guests will find dishes that aren’t commonly available in the Coleman area, along with creative names that offer a few fun nods to the community.
“We don’t want the menu to feel like something people can find everywhere,” Lori said. “There will be unique dishes, and people should watch for some fun names that bring a little bit of Coleman into the menu.”
One lunch item already worth watching for is the Lumberjack Burger, a cheeseburger topped with bacon, homemade onion rings and barbecue sauce. At breakfast, the made-from-scratch Belgian waffles will be served with fruit and other delicious fixings.
For customers with somewhere to be, Village Café will also offer grab-and-go coffee, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and sweets, making it easier to stop in even when there isn’t time to sit down.
The menu may be new, but the building comes with plenty of history.
Many residents will remember when the property was home to Dog N Suds. The building’s previous owner generously passed along posters, photographs and other memorabilia from that chapter, allowing Dennis and Lori to preserve part of the location’s story as they begin their own.
“We were very fortunate that the previous owner saved and shared so many pieces from the Dog N Suds years,” Lori said. “We know that history means something to people in the area, and we’re excited to keep some of those memories in the building.”
That combination of old memories and new ideas feels fitting for a project that began as an investment in Coleman. Instead of simply improving a building and moving on, Dennis and Lori found a way to give it a new purpose and for Lori, the chance to finally pursue something she had wanted to do for years.
Village Café’s grand opening will take place Saturday, October 10, at 131 County Road B in Coleman. After opening, the café will serve breakfast and lunch seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Peshtigo National Bank is proud to help share the stories of people investing in our local communities. We wish Dennis, Lori and the Village Café team the very best as they begin this new chapter in Coleman.