Hill of Beans Coffee Shop, opened recently at High Point Village, provides “what we were missing at our resort,” according to Kathy Blomberg. Earlier this year, she and her husband Lyle decided to add the shop to their resort complex located at W3075 County Road RR, about six miles from Ogema and nine miles from Prentice.

“This is a type of business I have always wanted to have, and because there was no similar place in the area after the Moose Café closed Sept. 9, we decided this was the right time to do it,” said Kathy.

The Blombergs began work on the coffee shop Sept. 10, first removing a connecting wall between their home and a vacant, adjacent apartment. As the construction continued and the permits and equipment needed to operate the shop were obtained, it was time for Kathy to select the decor and furniture she wanted.

“I couldn’t wait to decorate the shop and was so pleased to find suitable wallpaper,” she said. “It gave me some good ideas about the knick-knacks and other things I could add to make the shop a special place for customers.”

The tables and chairs, as well as some of the other furnishings, were purchased at Ken’s Carpet and Furniture Store in Phillips, she noted, and give the shop a fresh, yet homelike appearance.

“I am really pleased with how nice everything looks,” Blomberg said. “We wanted the coffee shop to have a relaxing atmosphere and hope that the background music we’ve chosen will help provide that.”

Finding a name for the coffee shop was easy, she said, given its location so close to Timm’s Hill. At first, she planned to offer just coffee, cappuccino, latte and freshly-baked pastries, but then decided to add soup and panini (toasted) sandwiches to the menu.

“The coffee shop is open to everyone, whether or not they are guests at the resort,” she said. “Because we are located right off the snowmobile and ski trails, I expect that many of our customers will be people who just want to stop by the coffee shop to warm up and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa or a bowl of chili. If they like, I will also have some gift items available, mostly things with references to Timm’s Hill or to Ogema.”

During warmer weather, the menu will change, Blomberg stated, with cold sandwiches, cool beverages and ice cream available. She noted that instead of customers entering the coffee shop through the Blomberg’s living room, they will be able to use the patio doors and enjoy dining outside on the patio which overlooks Bass Lake.

“We are working on signs for the coffee shop and are considering having it available for private parties,” she said. “I hope to host a dress rehearsal for the Our Town Players at the resort sometime in February

Blomberg continues to be involved in that amateur theater group which evolved from the Ogema Our Town organization she helped start a few years ago. She would eventually like to hold dinner theater productions at the resort, however, right now her focus is on the coffee shop.

Hill of Beans is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is closed on Monday. For information, call 715-767-5287.

Peterson, Cathy