“Every
small town you go to needs a coffee
shop,” said Greg Kempel, Casselton
Regional Tourism Committee chairman and
owner of Maple River Winery in
Casselton.
Cool Beanz owner Renae Lammers and her
business partner, Mike McClain, opened
the shop at 730 Front St. in July 2007.
Lammers loved making candy and had been
thinking about starting a business where
she could sell her soy brittle, sun
brittle, fudge and other confections.
McClain, who is general manager of the
country music radio station in town –
103.9 “The Truck” – saw an opportunity
when Kerry’s Sweet Shop, the bakery that
once occupied the location, moved into
the Governor’s Inn and Conference Center
just off Interstate 94.
“It was a jump. It was a risk,” said
Lammers, who had worked in an office
job. “If I didn’t have the encouragement
of Mike and the help, there’s no way I
would have done it, but I’m so glad I
did.”
Cool Beanz, which has wireless Internet
service, offers a range of coffee and
espresso options as well as Italian
cream sodas, candy, pastries, soups,
sandwiches, hot dogs and pizza bagels.
Sheri McKinney of Casselton visits Cool
Beanz at least once a week for lunch and
blended iced mochas.
“They’re the best,” she said, adding
that the shop’s comfortable atmosphere
is also an attraction.
As Lammers and McClain expected, the
business has been doing well. But one
thing they did not anticipate was how
popular the café would become.
“The café has really taken off,” McClain
said. “People wanted someplace different
to eat.”
Lammers
and McClain have expanded their menu to
include clubs, BLTs, wraps and daily
specials.
“What sets us apart is we’re very
accommodating and hospitable,” Lammers
said.
Cool Beanz is a busy morning pit stop as
residents grab a breakfast sandwich and
a coffee to fuel the start of their day.
It is a lunchtime destination for people
who work downtown and for area farmers
during their busy seasons. It’s also a
place where students get together to
unwind after school lets out in the
afternoon.
“We like smoothies and there’s nowhere
else we can go in town to get this kind
of food,” said Katie Johnson, 16, who
ordered a Jenny Java Rage.
“It’s comfortable and it’s good,” added
Josie Peterson, 16, of rural Casselton,
who ordered a Milky Way Rage.
Despite the plethora of coffee shops,
espresso bars and drive-up java stands
in Fargo-Moorhead, Cool Beanz has some
regulars from West Fargo, McClain said.
The coffeehouse and café caters private
parties. In two weeks, it will join with
Julie’s Place, another Casselton
restaurant, in providing breakfast and
lunch every day for 600 to 700 workers
building an ethanol plant near
Casselton.
Cool Beanz also sells products made in
North Dakota, such as fresh-roasted
coffee beans, jams, candles, honey, and
books by North Dakota authors.
Some customers mistake Cool Beanz for a
franchise, which it is not – at least
not yet. Lammers and McClain have
discussed opening shops in similar-sized
towns.
“With the number of coffee houses in
Fargo, everybody’s fighting for the
coffee dollar,” McClain said. “In a
small town, you develop a relationship
with the community.”
“Every
small town you go to needs a coffee
shop,” said Greg Kempel, Casselton
Regional Tourism Committee chairman and
owner of Maple River Winery in
Casselton. 
Lammers
and McClain have expanded their menu to
include clubs, BLTs, wraps and daily
specials. 
Some customers mistake Cool Beanz for a
franchise, which it is not – at least
not yet. Lammers and McClain have
discussed opening shops in similar-sized
towns.