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Sisters Ashley Duellman, left, and Rachel Rich opened The Coffee Camper last month.
Two area sisters recently teamed up to achieve a longtime dream to open their own coffee business.
Instead of a typical brick-and-mortar location, Ashley Duellman and Rachel Rich’s business is on wheels in a remodeled camper and travels the Alma, Buffalo City, Fountain City and Cochrane areas to a variety of events and communities.
Fittingly, the business is named The Coffee Camper.
Sisters Ashley Duellman, left, and Rachel Rich opened The Coffee Camper last month.
Rich and Duellman, who grew up on a farm in Cochrane, decided to open The Coffee Camper because of a mutual love of coffee and Duellman’s passion for baking, which is spotlighted in the business’ menu that features a variety of baked goods made of mostly organic ingredients offered alongside coffee-based beverages.
Rich said owning a coffee shop was always the one thing she dreamed of doing, if she could do anything in the world. She worked at some coffee shops in the past to learn and gain experience.
The two said they wanted to take a chance and attempt to work for themselves, at least on the side, as both maintain full-time jobs.
The sisters decided to start their business on wheels with a future goal of opening a drive-thru location also, because it was easier financially.
Rich said it was also a way for the duo to get their feet wet with trying to run their own business.
Rich said that while the camper was already gutted when the sisters bought it, she brought it up to the standards they needed for the business by adding flooring, lighting, windows, stainless-steel counters, an expresso machine and more.
She said with some help from others, a lot of research and some trial and error, the camper was readied for business.
The sisters said their families have been big supporters of the business venture.
“They’re all excited, because they know we’ve talked about it forever,” Rich said.
Since the business opened in October, the sisters said people in the area have been highly supportive.
Duellman said it’s great seeing familiar faces stop by The Coffee Camper while it is parked in Buffalo City, but it’s also enjoyable meeting new people when they travel to other locations.
To learn more about The Coffee Camper, or to discover where it will be parked in the future, visit The Coffee Camper’s Facebook page.
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Winona now has has one less McDonald’s.
Sisters Ashley Duellman, left, and Rachel Rich opened The Coffee Camper last month.
Sisters Ashley Duellman, left, and Rachel Rich opened The Coffee Camper last month.
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