Built from the ground ‘pup’ – Coffee Lab open in Manitowoc

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

January 12, 2026

MANITOWOC – Nick Knutson, co-owner of Coffee Lab in Manitowoc, said the dual drive-thru coffee shop at 2020 Dufek Drive, just off Interstate 43, celebrated its first howl-iday season in business since opening in November 2025.

“It’s been a learning curve, but we’re getting into the groove,” he said.

Offering drip and espresso-based coffee drinks – customizable with a variety of add-ons and “pupgrades” – snacks, sweets and other caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages, Knutson said the coffee shop’s origin dates back nearly two decades to 2007.

Double-duty drive-thru

Knutson said his father and co-owner, Carl, along with a former business partner, purchased the corner lot in Manitowoc as an investment before the recession.

“They got a really good deal on it, they were going to sit on it for a year and then probably sell it [to] make a profit,” he said. “But the 2008 recession hit – nobody had any money and expendable incomes went away. So, they just sat on it.”

As a way to utilize the smaller sized lot – “I think it’s [roughly] 0.376 acres” – Knutson said they placed storage sheds for sale on the property.

“Selling storage sheds was essentially paying for the yearly taxes,” he said. “They weren’t losing any money, so they weren’t in a hurry to get rid of it.”

In 2013, Knutson – a former airline pilot now flying on private contracts – said he started discussing other business opportunities for the property with his father, but the pair struggled to agree on an idea for several years.

“I told my father, ‘Listen, you need to put up like a Qdoba, a Chipotle or like a frozen yogurt shop,’” he said.

Around the same time those conversions with his father began, Knutson said he visited his brother in Seattle and was exposed to coffee drive-thrus.

“I noticed they had all these little sheds in parking lots and there was a coffee shop on every corner,” he said. “So, I went back, and I started talking [to] Dad [and said], ‘You need to put a coffee shop up.’”

After visiting Seattle himself, Knutson said his father warmed to the idea of a drive-thru coffee shop – appealing to a broader customer base – just as he was preparing to leave for a piloting job in Iraq.

“I left the airline, and I went to Iraq,” he said. “While I was in the process of doing that, [Dad’s business] partner, I think, just got sick of holding onto the property. They weren’t selling it, so he sold it to me, [and] I got a really good deal – a bunch of the interest had been paid on the loan… So, 2019 is when we really said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’”

After returning from Iraq in 2020, Knutson said initially, he and his dad were aiming to open a franchise coffee shop.

However, after discovering many of the companies they inquired about imposed strict regulations on franchise owners, Knutson said they chose to start their own business instead.

“My dad, he’s worked for himself his entire life,” he said. “He’s a home contractor – he’s actually the one that built Coffee Lab – and he [said], ‘No, I don’t want to have our hard work go to… line somebody else’s pockets.’ So, I understood that.”

Because Carl’s experience was limited to residential construction, Knuston said they knew learning the ins and outs of the commercial industry “was going to be a big headache.”

“Meanwhile… I went to Reno, [Nevada], and I was flying Air Ambulance,” he said. “I had seven days on, seven days off. So, I would take my time off, fly back to Wisconsin and it was great, because nobody was on the plane because of COVID-19. So, I had no problem ever getting a flight.”

After deciding against a franchise, Knutson said he focused on creating original ideas for the coffee shop’s menu, theme and offerings.

“I have a note in my phone, and if you [were to] put it on single-space paper, it’d probably be 150 pages,” he said. “It’s just ideas, names, puns and thoughts – free-flowing stuff.”

Coffee Lab, Knutson said, pays homage to his family’s history of owning labradors.

Knutson said his family’s former labradors – Mikey and Murphy – as well as their current furry family member – Bear – served as the inspiration for both Coffee Lab’s name and logo.

“We had a yellow lab from 2005 until 2016, and then we had a chocolate lab [until 2023],” he said. “If you look closely at the logo, [there’s] a coffee cup with steam coming up from the middle of the nose. I don’t know if a lot of people notice that, but it is an Easter egg.”

Initially, in addition to its drive-thru, Knutson said Coffee Lab was going to offer indoor, cafe-style seating and service.

However, after receiving a lofty construction estimate to the tune of $1.1 million, he said the decision was made to build a drive-thru-only coffee shop – which, in turn, allowed more space for Coffee Lab’s on-site dog park.

“I was flying [for] Air Ambulance, and… I asked my two paramedics in the back, ‘Hey, what would you guys think if we had a dog park attached to the coffee shop?’” he said. “I’ve never seen a coffee shop [with a dog park and], not to mention, we’re right off the interstate.”

Knutson said opting for a drive-thru-exclusive shop provided them with a more cost-effective approach – with less overhead and the opportunity to serve more customers.

“Because [Dad] and I had just spent some time out in Seattle together… I said, ‘Listen, let’s just do a drive-thru,’” he said. “We can make the building smaller, make the dog park bigger, do a double drive-thru and we can serve more people – or we can serve the same amount of people, and we can just make it faster.”

Ultimately, Knutson said he and Carl officially broke ground on Coffee Lab in 2024.

(Furry) family friendly

As a first-time entrepreneur, Knutson said he takes his responsibility as a local business owner very seriously.

“When I was hiring people, I said, ‘Listen, I’ve never owned a business before, so we’re going to have to iron out some wrinkles, [and it’s] going to be a growing process,’” he said. “But, I said, ‘No. 1, I have to do right by this community, and [No. 2], I have to do right by my employees, because if I can’t… [provide] something that’s good at a reasonable cost, I don’t deserve to own a business. And if I can’t treat you guys with respect as employees, if you’re not happy, again, I don’t deserve to own a business.’”

After completing construction and onboarding staff, Knutson said Coffee Lab held a soft opening on Nov. 16, 2025.

“My workers… [are] fairly confident,” he said. “We’re starting to get comfortable with making the drinks and the proportions, so I feel like the consistency is going to come, and hopefully, the quality is going to stay there.”

Featuring roasts from Ripon’s Boom Coffee Co. and Nelsonville-based Ruby Coffee Roasters, Knutson said Coffee Lab’s menu was designed to provide convenient, family-friendly snacks and beverages, such as muffins and cookies (both regular and gluten-free), “cake pups,” crustless sandwiches and Cedar Crest ice cream cups.

“We settled on things that were quick and easy,” he said. “Items that can be stored in the fridge and served quickly or items that can be stored in the freezer or on the shelf in their original packaging.”

Some of Coffee Lab’s food options, Knutson said, were also selected to offer fast, but healthy options – such as fresh cheese curds, organic fruit bars and applesauce pouches.

“And, for the parents who just want to get their kid a cup of milk, we’re [happy to pour] it in a cup for them,” he said. 

Knutson said furry family members are also welcome with complimentary offerings like “cappoochinos” (whipped cream in a cup) and all-natural dog treats.

Coffee Lab’s “Zoomie” menu, he said, provides an alternative beverage option for non-coffee drinkers, like himself, who still need a caffeinated pick-me-up.

“I do not drink coffee – I think it tastes like burnt popcorn – so we came up with the Zoomie drinks…,” he said. “‘The zoomies’ are when a dog gets absolutely crazy and they’re just zooming around. For the names of the Zoomie drinks, we named them after dogs that had significance in our lives.”

Other beverages, many featuring playful dog-themed names, include Ice Cream Floaties, Soda Pawps, “Belly Shrubs” and fruit smoothies – all of which are available for online ordering and pickup at coffeelabmanty.com.

Happiness, convenience, ‘fond memories’

Knutson said his aviation career began when he started taking lessons in 2006 following his time in the U.S. Air Force.

“I went into the military thinking I’m going to be a pilot,” he said.

However, after being stationed in England, Knutson said he found his base didn’t have an airfield, and private lessons were financially inaccessible to a young airman.

“So, [when] I got back to the States, I started going to college [and], after about a year, I [decided] I should just do it,” he said.

After returning to the U.S., Manitowoc native Knutson said he began taking flight lessons in Two Rivers and decided to pursue an aviation career.
“I learned to fly in a Cessna 150, which is one of the most basic airplanes you could ever [learn on],” he said. “It’s got a lawnmower for an engine.”

Though he now co-owns a business with his father – a 76-year-old Valders native – in Wisconsin, Knutson said he still works as a pilot in Nevada.

“Right now, I get two weeks on [and] two weeks off,” he said. “So, I told my employees, ‘Listen, I’m going to be gone, but when I have my 13 days off, I will be coming back.’”

His ability to maintain his piloting job in Nevada, Knutson said, is only made possible by the support and dedication of “amazing” employees and, especially, his mother, Jean Knutson, and girlfriend, Misty Richins.

“My girlfriend Misty has been the biggest help/inspiration,” he said. “We would not be in the place we are if it weren’t for her, and… all of the employees are superstars as well. Everyone has stepped up in major ways and helped this thing get to the starting line and out of the blocks. I can’t say enough good things. Also, my mom has been super kind, loving and supportive like only a mother can be.”

Knutson said his motivation for starting a business on his father’s property was to help ensure his parents could enjoy a comfortable retirement.

“I just want my parents to be able to enjoy their retirement,” he said. “Sure, the money on the side for me would be nice, but I’m not looking to become a millionaire. I just want to help my parents with retirement.”

Despite the roadblocks and hurdles he and his dad had to overcome to bring Coffee Lab to life, Knutson said he’s glad they took their time to be intentional and build the business exactly how they wanted.

“In a way, I’m glad it took four or five years to work things out, because we wouldn’t have had the name, we wouldn’t have had the great ideas, we wouldn’t have had the dog park,” he said.

And all struggles, Knutson said, have been made worth it after receiving “the nicest” compliments and reviews from the community members turned initial customers and soon-to-be regulars.

“The other best part is that they bring dogs to the drive-thru that I get to pet and interact with – who could ask for anything more?” he said. “I hope we can continue to bring people happiness and convenience and spur fond memories.”

For Coffee Lab’s menu and hours of operation, visit its aforementioned website or its Facebook page.