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Permit for coffee shop approved

Downtown business to open in spring

By Angie Landsverk


Aquamos Coffee Collaborative is set to become part of downtown Waupaca this spring.

Craig Gauerke plans to have it open at 217 S. Main St. in late April or early May.

He received a special use permit for the coffee shop when the common council met on Feb. 19.

The council’s vote was 9-0. Ald. Scott Purchatzke was absent.

Alexander LeClair is Gauerke’s business partner in the venture.

Gauerke’s father Tim owns the building in which the business will be located.

Chain O’ Lakes Cabinetry and Countertops Design Studio is located there.

Some of the showroom space is being reduced to make room for Aquamos Coffee Collaborative.

The coffee shop is going to be in the part of the building that faces Main Street.

Gauerke and LeClair plan to have coffee, tea and food.

The name of the business means “custom water,” Gauerke told the Waupaca County Post.

Aquamos Coffee Collaborative will be a marketplace where local roasters may sell there coffee, he said.

There will be no roasting there, he said.

“There are 22 roasteries within an hour and a half of Waupaca,” Gauerke said.

He said that ranges from Ruby Coffee Roasters in nearby Nelsonville to smaller roasters found only in cafes.

They initially plan to contact those 22 before eventually featuring coffee roasted from throughout the state.

Another part of their business model is civic engagement.

Gauerke says there will be some type of educational element.

They want to help community members understand issues.

The idea is to inform and not necessarily take sides on issues, he said.

At Aquamos Coffee Collaborative, customers will be able to try different coffee roasts, as well as teas.

They will also be able to buy beans.

When Gauerke’s request for a special use permit went before the city’s Plan Commission, he compared it to breweries that have a number of taps and the opportunity to try various types of beer.

The collaborative’s initial hours of operation are planned to be 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, 6-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

When the business is at its peak employment of eight to 10 people, the projected hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

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