The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

August 9, 2009

Coffee shop expands organic offerings

Organic beef comes from a farm near Kenyon

By Tim Krohn

MANKATO — A cup of dark roast and a ribeye to go?

You can have it at the Smiley Cup drive-up coffee shop.

Mark Smiley, who opened the shop in 2007, says an entrepreneur has to keep looking to fill the niches. In this case, frozen organic angus beef burger, T-bone, ribeye, sirloin, round steak and roasts.

“There aren’t a lot of places selling it and my prices are good,” Smiley said.

Prices range from $5.50 per pound for burger to $6 for round steak and $13 for ribeye. Organic chicken also is available.

He gets the certified-organic beef from a farm near Kenyon in southeastern Minnesota, and he can keep enough of the shrink-wrapped packages in his small shop without taking up too much room.

He continues to offer all-organic coffee, muffins, smoothies and ice cream at the drive-up at the corner of Madison Avenue and Victory Drive in the Buster’s mall parking lot.

Smiley, who’s been in a variety of building trades and sales, said operating his own business has been challenging and rewarding.

“I love meeting customers, getting to know people,” he said. “A business like this takes a lot of your time. I had a weekend off this past July 4, but otherwise it’s been six days a week.”

He’s also had to put up with a year’s worth of construction around him, including the Victory Drive extension, the current resurfacing of Madison Avenue and the renovation of the nearby strip mall.

“I have a lot of loyal customers who come in, but it’s been a mess. A lot of people stuck in the traffic just don’t want to turn off,” Smiley said. “In two weeks they’ll be done (with the road work). It’ll be nice, though, when it’s all finished.”

The shop is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

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