Coffee shop opens at Hidden Treasures on Main in Gilman
Residents and visitors to Gilman have a new place to stop for coffee.
On Wednesday, the Gilman Development Foundation opened a new coffee shop as part of Hidden Treasures on Main gift shop that opened last fall.
According to Jane DeStaercke of Gilman Development Foundation, the coffee shop was made possible through the assistance from a $10,000 Badger Bounce Back grant awarded by the state to help small businesses expand. Organizers with the foundation see the coffee shop addition as being an added benefit for those in the community or passing through.
DeStaercke said she knows of people in the village who drive to Thorp and other communities to get their flavored coffee drinks. She said this will be a way to keep those sales in the community and be a draw for others.
According to Lynn Rosemeyer of the Gilman Development Foundation, they also see the space as a location for people to gather and socialize in the community. The coffee shop occupies the back corner of the former bank building which was converted last year to be a gift shop. A former office space was converted into the serving kitchen with a few cafe-style tables and a booth for people to sit at to enjoy their beverages.
Rosemeyer explained that shoppers in the store frequently see other people they know and that the coffee shop area will give them space to come in and visit. “They can sit and socialize with friends,” she said.
Rosemeyer also noted that they felt that those visiting from other areas to shop at the store would also be coffee drinkers and it would give them another reason to stop in.
Rosemeyer noted the coffee shop purchases their bulk beans from Uncommon Ground located in downtown Medford. “We felt it was important to keep it in the county,” she said.
The menu includes a full selection of both hot and iced coffee and tea drinks, with plans to add pastries and other treats in the future. In addition, they offer Willow Creek brands of breads and mixes as well as other products from around Wisconsin.
“Everything we have in here is from Wisconsin,” DeStaercke said.
In addition to being a great place to stop and check out the products and enjoy a great cup of coffee, DeStaercke said there is value in demonstrating to the community that they are moving forward and trying to revitalize Main Street and to let our people know what is happening there.
Since opening last fall, Hidden Treasures on Main has exceeded expectations with the number of shoppers and people interested in being vendors in the store. They noted that when planning the store, they were hoping for between 15 and 20 vendors and have nearly doubled that to having product from 39 different vendors in the store and a waiting list for others wanting to get in.
In addition to filling a vacant building in the downtown and serving as a stop for travelers coming to the area, the store also carries a number of food items including locally and regionally produced meats, cheeses and other food and beverage items including wines.
DeStaercke noted the access to food items has been especially beneficial to community members since the closure of the local grocery store left people without many local options.
The coffee shop opened on Wednesday with a grand opening scheduled for April 15 with extended hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. Special events during the grand opening will include drawings, door prizes and a free beverage at the coffee shop for those who spend more than $50 on purchases in the store.
The coffee shop’s regular hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
