CRIVITZ – Coffee is brewing and drinks are flowing at The Damn Coffee Co., which opened for business on May 12 after more than a year of planning and construction.
Courtney Mertens explained that she and her husband Bronson opened the drive-through coffee shop to fill a gap they saw in their community.
“[My husband and I] always kind of talked about how the area needed a coffee shop… it would just be nice and convenient to have one, and if it was a drive-through then you wouldn’t have to get out of your car,” Mertens explained.
She continued, “We started the process of getting the business going and just kind of rolled with it. We said, ‘Let’s see where this goes and where it takes us from here.’”
The journey into opening the coffee shop furthered their ties with the community, with Mertens looking into what serving the Crivitz, Twin Bridge and High Falls area could really look like. This led Mertens to look at other important fixtures in the area, including the High Falls Dam.
Planning for the dam began in the early 1900s, during which more immigrants moved to the local area and the growing population of Green Bay necessitated hydroelectric power.
“In the mid-1800s, the Crivitz area was a wild territory. After the Great Peshtigo Fire in 1871, a wave of new immigrants began sweeping through the area. Many were simply seeking adventure, but many others came to help rebuild,” the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shared.
“Logging and sawmills were the major industries until forestlands became depleted from over-harvesting and wildfire. It was during this time that settlers began converting cut-over and burned forestlands to agricultural land and constructing dams on the Peshtigo River,” the department explained.
The Crivitz Stephenson Historical Society helped Mertens learn more about the construction of the dam through their first-hand documentations of the dam and the people who worked to construct it.
Mertens was inspired by the lasting power of the dam, paying tribute to it with their logo that features an illustration generated directly from a photograph of the actual dam as well as her fun take on the business name.
“I think that in this area we forget the history, we’re just so used to seeing it while driving by. The history of [the dam] is really cool, and I’m really excited to incorporate that into the coffee shop.”
While the atmosphere leans into the local heritage, the menu features modern cafe staples. The Dam Coffee Co. serves coffee and espresso-based drinks using beans from Door County Coffee, the shop’s roastery partner.
“I knew nothing about coffee beans, where they came from, the different flavors, the different types of roast or how they’re roasted, so over the last 12 months I have learned quite a bit,” she reflected.
The creative drink menu features themed offerings made from the espresso beans, like “The Dam Sweet Latte” and “Whitewater Mocha.”
Also on the menu are dirty sodas, flavored lemonades, teas, Italian cream sodas, frappes and baked goods. One offering that Mertens is excited about mixing up includes the Monin Brilliance Natural Energy caffeinated beverages, which are made with green coffee bean extract and vitamin B12 and without extra colors or preservatives.
Whether someone is a black coffee purist or looking for a sweet treat to start the day, she invites community members and vacationers alike to drive through or walk up.
“I’m excited to showcase our local history at the coffee shop while serving really good coffee,” Mertens said.
The Dam Coffee Co. is located at W11465 Cty Rd. X in Crivitz. For more information about their hours and offerings, visit The Dam Coffee Co. on Facebook.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here