Longtime employee learns on the job, now ready to buy Attic Books & Coffee in Green Bay

One of Green Bay’s most enduring and endearing shops, The Attic Books & Coffee, will transfer ownership early next year. The new owner will be the longtime manager Ashley Martin.

“I started here in August 2008 as a part-time barista,” Martin said. “I’m not even sure how I got to this point. Bill (the current owner) started giving me more and more responsibility, and about six years ago, he asked if I wanted to buy this place someday. I think Bill saw the love I have for this shop and how it has become very much my home.”

Martin was on board with the plan, and Bill Macier promised he wouldn’t let it go to anybody else. Since that time, the six years have flown by. The shop, at 730 Bodart St., has evolved from its original business model as a bookstore offering coffee to a café that also has books. It has weathered increasing competition, a recession, and the pandemic.

Through all of that, it has survived and remains a favorite place for hundreds of loyal customers. Martin said she can’t even imagine working someplace else.

Her unlikely journey has been akin to taking business classes in a real-world setting. Along the way, her teacher has been her boss, Bill Macier, who along with his wife, Julie, purchased the business in 2007. By then, the business had already been around for seven years and was well-established, primarily as a book shop. Macier began a transformation to become a “socially responsible local business.”

The floor plan was modified to accommodate smaller and larger groups to provide a gathering place for book clubs and meetings. The beverage menu was expanded and food menu added along with a retail area. From almost the beginning, Martin was part of the change.

“After Bill bought The Attic, it blossomed into a place that had a wide variety of teas, coffee, and food," Martin said. "There was less emphasis on books, but they are still important because they give us such a warm vibe.”

The books are no longer purchased; customers are encouraged to donate hard cover books in good condition. A limited number are accepted depending on the current inventory and what is selling. The most popular books tend to be nonfiction, particularly history and philosophy titles.

“We rely on people to donate books, and a lot of people want to donate because it helps us stay in business,” Martin said. “I have always been surprised that the fiction doesn’t sell as well as the nonfiction. Part of that could be because of the large number of college students that visit.”

In addition to books, customers can also play games, socialize, or find a quiet nook and relax with a favorite beverage. Martin’s creativity is evidenced in the unique beverages she conjures up. For the holidays, the big menu board includes drinks like white chocolate and gingerbread lattes. Customers can also pick up coffee beans and loose-leaf tea to brew at home.

“During COVID, we were basically shut down and just trying to keep the lights on,” she said. “Now that things are turning back around, I am increasing the retail section and adding more food options.”

Those retail selections, usually featured on Facebook, include themed gift boxes that she assembles. She has boxes for tea and coffee lovers, holiday fun boxes, and others that are custom-made. Some of the items are responsibility sourced and others come from local businesses like Monzu Bakery and La Java Roasting House.

Just as she is supported locally, Martin said it’s important to support other local businesses. The bakery and coffees make their way into the baskets, and are also on the menu. She is optimistic that the business is on track to increase sales.

“We are starting to get more branded merchandise in to sell. We have The Attic mugs, cups, tote bags, and ornaments with our logo. I decide what I’m going to buy based on whether or not it is something I would use,” she said.

The years of experience and mentoring from Bill Macier have her trusting her instincts. Although this is only the second job she ever held, she is a graduate of a local entrepreneurial business program where she got an overview of business basics. Yet, Macier is the person she considers her mentor.

“When Bill hired me, I was unemployed and had zero experience in the food and beverage industry," Martin said. "He was taking a chance with me, and my role evolved. I took the business course at E-Hub, but basically, all of my education has been here.”

Her one weakness, she said, is paperwork. The majority of her time has been spent in interaction with customers and doing everything visual and physical in the store. She creates social media posts and participates in downtown events like Small Business Saturday last weekend. Her hours are long as she struggles, just like most businesses, to find help.

“It has been hard to find staff,” Martin said. “People are looking for a certain number of hours and don’t realize how hard it can be to work here and be on your feet all day. When I tell them about the job, I often hear things like, ‘I don’t know if I can handle that.’”

When she is able to hire, Martin plans to bring back a successful Sunday brunch that was a popular offering before the pandemic. There are currently smaller lunch items like salads, but she also wants to expand that menu.

“We have only three people during the week and one on Sunday mornings," she said. "We don’t serve any sandwiches right now, because we just needed to keep the place going during COVID. Instead, we concentrated on the coffee and bakery items and in bringing in more tea.”

If all goes according to plan, that will change. She says that she does worry a little about sluggish times, but as long as people love coming to The Attic, she believes they’ll be OK. It is the people who walk through the doors thatwho make the shop a success.

“I am focused on keeping the feeling of the place what it is. Once I am the owner, I know that there will be a little more pressure because I don’t have that safety net,” Martin said. “There will always be some doubts. Am I ready for this? Can I do this? I feel this big responsibility because we are so loved by our customers and I don’t want to let them down.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Longtime employee to buy Attic Books & Coffee in Green Bay