New Luxemburg restaurant to be village's only coffee and ice cream shop
LUXEMBURG - Ashley Holda's dream was to open her own coffee shop. Now she's doing just that, and quite a bit more.
This Friday, July 1, Holda is opening Luxemburg's only coffee shop and homemade ice cream parlor with The Ahnapee Creamery & Cafe, which also will serve breakfasts and lunches.
Holda had long thought about starting up her own cafe. The dream began to take a more physical shape a couple years ago when she and her husband, Ross, bought a small camper with the idea of converting it into mobile coffee shop, but that never got off the ground.
Plus, Holda knew she'd need to offer more than just coffee to make the idea work in the village.
"I always wanted a coffee shop," Holda said. "I knew having just a coffee shop wasn't going to survive in Luxemburg."
Then, in January, Ashley and Ross bought the former Boarding Haus Pub at the corner of Main and Cedar streets and began converting the 117-year-old building into Ashley's coffee shop.
"This place was for sale for three-plus years. I drove by it a lot, kinda knew what it looked like," Holda said. "Once we saw this place, my husband encouraged me to do this."
The large permanent location also gave Holda the chance to make the venture financially feasible by serving fresh food and ice cream along with the coffee.
"I thought, well, if I do some food, that'll go well with a coffee shop, and there's no ice cream shop in Luxemburg," she said.
The restaurant will have a limited menu to get things going, and the planned weekly Sunday brunch will be delayed for a couple weeks. Staffing also is limited for now, as is the case for so many food and beverage places, and Holda said she'll balance working behind the counter and managing while she seeks weekday wait staff and one more cook (for both of which she's taking applications).
The food will be what Holda called "typical breakfast and lunch" items: omelets, skillets, breakfast sandwiches and chicken and waffles for breakfast; sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, soups and salads for lunch. Holda is making the soups herself and is using some of her own recipes, some recipes from friends and other recipes she's come across over time for all the items.
Two different coffees will be served each day with coffee drinks also available.
The ice creams will be made in-house from scratch, rolled and served with a garnish. Holda said she'll start with three flavors and eventually work up to eight to 12 flavors.
The cafe closes at 2 p.m. each day — Holda has three young children — but she said she understands that there may not be much of a market for ice cream that's only available around lunchtime.
So during summer months, they'll open from 4 to 8 p.m. daily except Mondays to serve just ice cream and beverages. The establishment also has a beer and wine license and Holda plans to serve those as well as frozen cocktails. Eventually, Holda also wants to start a juicery in the cafe.
Plus, the Holdas are building a small patio on the Cedar Street side for patrons to enjoy the summer weather.
MORE: Fourth of July, Kewaunee County: Here's where and how to celebrate and watch fireworks
FOR MORE KEWAUNEE COUNTY NEWS: Check out our homepage
Holda also is using locally sourced foods and ingredients and offering healthy choices for those with dietary requirements. Along with the salads, the restaurant will have gluten-free options, and the ice cream can be made dairy-free.
"The whole intent was to put a healthy spin on things," she said.
Holda has partnered with Otto's Meats and Ron's Wisconsin Cheese/Ponderosa Farmstead, both based in Luxemburg, for ingredients and has Ampersand Cake Co. in Denmark supplying baked sweets for the cafe. She hopes this fall to also use a corner of the front counter for a boutique featuring locally made apparel, accessories, syrups, honey and more.
"That's been part of the mission," Holda said. "I want to do as local as possible."
FYI
The Ahnapee Creamery & Cafe is opening Friday, July 1, at 831 Main St., Luxemburg. Hours are from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, with special hours serving only beverages and ice cream from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays during the summer. In a few weeks, a Sunday brunch will begin serving from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit "The Ahnapee Creamery & Cafe" Facebook page or email ashley@theahnapeecreamerycafe.com.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Luxemburg restaurant to be village's only coffee and ice cream shop
