Bucket list checked; New coffee shop to open in Huntingburg

A bucket list item will be checked for Kim Kerr next week when the café carrying her name opens on Fourth Street in Huntingburg.

Next Thursday, Kim and her daughter, Ashlie Kerr, will open Kim’s Koffee at 410 E. Fourth Street to the public for the first time. The new business is a family affair, so you’ll likely see Kim’s husband, Bob, VP of IT at Masterbrand Cabinets, working behind the counter at times as well.

Kim’s Koffee is located in the building that housed the Palace of Sweets years ago and more recently, Milk Parlour. It’s been a long road getting the new coffee shop open for the Kerr family.

The Kerrs moved to Huntingburg about two years ago from Minneapolis for Bob’s job with Masterbrand. They quickly found Huntingburg to be an inviting city with a lot to offer, but they missed some elements of larger city-life.

“We really missed having a coffee shop to hang out in,” Bob explained.

On top of that, about two weeks after arriving in Huntingburg, Kim had a health crisis — one that they are still working through now. Despite this, the family made themselves at home in Huntingburg and fell in love with the town.

“We have more friends here in two years than we had in Minneapolis in ten,” Bob said.

Then, an opportunity to add their touch to the iconic downtown came available when the Milk Parlour closed and the building was put up for sale. Bob knew Kim had wanted to operate a coffee shop for some time.

“I bought it for Kim as a Christmas present,” Bob laughed about the purchase that began a long process of renovation that was still underway Wednesday afternoon.

They began to plan the new space, and as in the case of any old building, they ran into problems. On top of the transformative construction happening outside their window on the street, the Kerr’s found that their new building was going to require a lot of work to be transformed into what they envisioned.

The question then became how to take the shell of the historic building and create a space that was inviting and functional as a modern café. Bare brick walls added ambiance and tin ceiling tiles created antique elegance but created problems for comfort and upkeep.

The layout was also problematic. An elevated “balcony” in the middle of the shop housed a boiler underneath and broke the long room up from the bar. A kitchenette in the back was difficult to work in, and the bathroom was tiny and in Bob’s words, nearly impossible to turn around in.

Many may remember the layout and the bare brick walls of the comfortable coffee shop that was there before. When those guests return to the shop, they’ll now find bare brick walls featured as accents in the updated layout that features wood-trimmed walls put in place to allow for the addition of multiple electrical outlets. A touch of elegance tempered with modern amenities.

“We want people to come in here and plan on staying for a while,” Bob said.

Those electrical outlets come with USB ports to keep electronic devices charged while customers work and browse on the high speed internet while drinking coffee creations and munching on sandwiches and pastries.

The building’s HVAC has been moved to the former kitchen in the back, and a new ADA accessible bathroom has been added. The back of the building will provide a great area for group meetings with plenty of seating and tables. A nearby fireplace adds some elegance with a couple of comfortable chairs nearby.

The balcony is gone and the bar now leads into an enclosed kitchenette.

It isn’t a full kitchen because the Kerr’s don’t plan on preparing a lot of food there. As mentioned earlier, much of the food will consist of grab-and-go items, salads and pastries. But, the Minnesotan family does plan on featuring their own homemade soups; something they promise will bring some new flavors to this area of the Midwest.

Chicken dumpling soup, corn chowder, ham and bean, and chili will make the menu but at the mention of chili, the Kerr’s threw the gauntlet down on how it is served around here; with noodles. “That’s a goulash,” they chimed during the interview.

They also mentioned something called a hotdish — not to be mistaken for a casserole. Apparently, this Minnesota dish features some type of meat, a can of soup and added ingredients to flavor all layered in a baking dish and then topped with tater tots (yum) or noodles and baked with cheese sprinkled over it all. Again, don’t call it a casserole.

Of course, the shop will feature many coffee drinks — flavored lattes, cappuccinos, drip coffee, cold brew and pour over coffee — as well as teas and smoothies.

Along with renovating the building, the new shop will feature some modern conveniences for busy customers. If someone is heading to work in the morning or just passing through quickly, they can place and pay for an order before stepping foot in the shop with an app: search for “Joe Coffee” on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

After downloading the app, users need to find Kim’s Koffee — the only coffee shop using the app in Indiana — to place orders on the app menu. The Kerr’s will have it waiting for you when you arrive at the shop.

Next Thursday, the new shop opens at 9 a.m. with Ashlie — a barista and coffee shop manager — behind the bar serving customers. This is a soft opening and hours will be adjusted as the new business-owners work through the kinks of their new business. Customers are invited to follow them on Facebook here to stay up to date on their hours and specials. According to Ashlie, they plan on having things nailed down in about a month, but they will be open seven days a week with shorter hours on Sunday.

“We are looking forward to getting open,” Kim said adding that she is also looking forward to decorating the store for the holidays and festivals.