Quote: I knew the moment I walked into the Door County Coffee & Tea Co. in the small community of Carlsville, Wisconsin, that I could never again be satisfied with just any cup of coffee. The incredible aroma was the first thing that was noticed, then a warm welcome from several of the employees, inviting us in.

Many, many years ago, Vicky Wilson and her husband, Doug, visited Door County from their home in Green Bay, and fell in love with the peaceful lifestyle and friendly people there. After reading an article about roasting coffee, an idea and a very successful business were born. She thought to herself, "I love coffee and I love Door County, what could be better." After doing some research to see if there might already be a coffee shop there, she was surprised and delighted to learn there were none.

In 1993 the Door County Coffee & Tea Co. was opened in a small building in Forestville, Wisconsin, population 412. They quickly outgrew this facility and struggled to keep up with the demand. Several years later this problem was solved when the business was moved to its current location. Vicky admits that there were a lot of ups and downs, but she had faith that this endeavor would one day be successful. And she was right. Moving to the larger location meant they could add a gift shop, restaurant, bakery and warehouse space for more equipment for roasting and packaging. The facility continued to grow to its current size of 20,000 square feet.

Today, the Door County Coffee & Tea Co. employees 40 fulltime employees, including LouAnne, who has been the Master Roaster there since the beginning of the business. A major factor of their success is that they use the very best coffee beans (Specialty Class Grade I Arabica) from all over the world and they blend and roast them the "old-fashioned way, in small batches to exacting specifications." The blending and roasting of over 100 flavors of coffee has spawned the continual development of new combinations. They create flavors for every season, such as Caramel Latte (caramel and white chocolate) for spring, Harvest Blend (toasted praline, a sweet and nutty taste) for fall and Dublin Delight, created for Saint Patrick’s Day.

We were fortunate to get a tour of their facility, beginning in the warehouse where fresh beans are received and finished products are waiting for shipment to customers. We were told "These don’t stay here very long, usually being shipped one day after the process is completed."

We moved on to the actual roasting, flavoring and packaging process. It was interesting to watch the crew interacting with each other while explaining to visitors what they do and how they do it. Tim was in charge of the packing process that day and was preparing small packages of a Special Blend that had been ordered as wedding favors. A package was custom designed bearing the names of the bride and groom and the date of their special event.

At the serve-yourself coffee wall in the restaurant, I tried Breakfast Blend and Caramel Latte. Both went well with the delicious Vegetarian Quiche and a fresh baked cherry muffin. In addition to hearty breakfast items, the bakery counter was filled with temptations to suit every palate. The lunch menu offers sandwiches on freshly baked bread and homemade soups. The Door County Hot Cocoa is to die for.

Not only do they sell to restaurants and specialty stores across the United States, but they also have an Internet site where anyone, anywhere, can order their products. Vicky told me that she had shipped a "care package" to a service man in Afghanistan at the request of his family and before long, she was receiving orders from others in his unit. So Door County Coffee is truly a global product.

If you ask Vicky to point to one thing that led to the continual success of the Door County Coffee & Tea Co., she will tell you that it is the people, both employees and customers, that have grown the business, and it shows in the loving and high energy atmosphere. So, if you are anywhere near Door County, stop in, have breakfast and some terrific coffee, and when you leave, you might just get a hug from Vicky or one of her staff.

From journals Door County, WI - The Door is Open