KYN: ‘Miigwitches Brew’ Coffee Shop Fuels the Community
FOND DU LAC RESERVATION, Minn. — Out in the middle of the of the Fond Du Lac Reservation, an idea was brewing for coffee shop owner Jackson Ripley.
“We didn’t know what to expect. Neither my wife nor I am actual businesspeople, you know, so we weren’t sure what to expect. The summer was amazing, and people started to ask if we’re going to stay open for the winter. And we were like okay, we can try that,” said Jackson Ripley, Co-Owner of ‘Miigwitches Brew’.
Just over 10 months ago, right along Big Lake Road, ‘Miigwitches Brew’ opened its doors.
The duo purchased the mini house that was equipped and ready to make some coffee.
Since then, they’ve been hard at work caffeinating the community right in their front yard.
“Oh, you know what, the feedback has been amazing. We have a ton of local people right here on the ‘Res’ that can swing here on the way to work, or they’re heading out to Big Lake, to swing here and get coffee from me. I’ve actually had a person from Alaska swing through,” said Ripley.
‘Miigwitches Brew’ gets its magic from locally sourced ingredients.
For their specialty coffee, the maple latte, it comes from Spirit Lake Native Farms, located in Sawyer Minnesota.
“Our coffee beans are right up at Dream Cloud Coffee Roasters, they do an excellent job. We also have a baker that’s from the area here, I just got a fresh batch, every Monday,” explained Ripley.
And now, the shop is attracting customers both near and far. Ripley said people have visited from St. Paul, Alaska, and even Australia.
“Every coffee shop has a little unique something about them. There’s always something in the name. Something about the spot, or the drip, or you know, all those kinds of things. So my wife was actually the one who came up with the name. She’s pretty much the language person for the family,” said Ripley.
Ripley is looking forward to possibly expanding their location, and their menu.
But for now, they’re glad to be serving up customers delicious coffee, and smiles.
