Kaukauna restaurant expands by offering new hours, services

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

January 12, 2026

KAUKAUNA – Since 2018, Co-owners Kyle Megna and Janel Abel Megna said 313 Dodge – located just across from Hydro Park in Kaukauna – has been the go-to spot for evening cocktails and light bites.

Now, the duo said the popular venue is making mornings just as inviting, with the addition of freshly brewed coffee and expanded hours.

The Megnas, no strangers to the ups and downs of running a small business, said the expanded hours and new coffee menu are just the latest evolution in their seven-year journey.

In their first two years, the couple said they were focused on covering start-up costs.

Then, in 2020, like many businesses, they said they were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic – managing to weather the storm by offering drinks to go and keeping their loyal customer base intact.’

From there, they said their focus was the reimagined outdoor patio, transforming it into a more inviting space for customers to relax and enjoy.

Now, the Megnas said they are turning the page to a new chapter by expanding hours and adding morning coffee and cafe service.

This change, they said, brings a more versatile experience to 313 Dodge, attracting early risers and coffee lovers, while preserving the vibe that has long made it a favorite evening retreat.

“The addition of coffee and cafe service in the mornings is something I always kind of wanted to do,” Janel said. “I worked at a coffee shop 10 or 15 years ago, and the building we have is beautiful and is very functional to be able to do both – a good place for coffee and a cafe and an equally good space for a cocktail lounge.”

Though they had always considered this idea, Janel said it became clear that expanding their offerings was necessary to help them navigate the financial challenges of winter.

“It’ll hopefully bring a better flow of people coming through on a regular basis, including the daytime, instead of just having pretty quiet nights and long winters,” she said.

313 Dodge’s new hours, Janel said, are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

“We are serving coffee in the morning with brunch and lunch options along with house-made bakery and breakfast cocktails,” she said. “We stay open all day long and offer some snack options from 2-4 p.m. and then ‘reopen’ at 4 p.m. with our small plates and shareable menu.”

Janel said their goal is to bring in more friends, families and local businesses, creating a space that people can enjoy year-round.

By doing so, she said they hope to reduce the seasonal nature of the business, which has traditionally relied on the outdoor patio.

“It’s just the two of us who own this, and we have a three-and-a-half-year-old, so we’re just trying to make ends meet,” she said. “We are very seasonal. We have a very large patio that is filled, for the most part, in the summer, but winters can be tough.”

Janel said they launched the cafe’s new menu and extended hours late last fall after taking a week off for some minor remodeling and the installation of a new espresso machine.

“We changed our seating to make it a little more conducive for a coffee shop,” she said. “So, now we have booths in our main room and smaller tables so people can sit by themselves, if they want, and not take up a whole four-top table.”

Janel said they also rearranged the back bar, making space for the new espresso machine while opening up more room overall.

“We have morning coffee service, and then we switch it over to bar service later in the day,” she said. “So, making room in the back bar area is pretty much what we focused on for that remodeling stage.”

With Ruby Coffee Roasters as its coffee supplier, Janel said 313 Dodge offers everything from regular coffee to a selection of espresso drinks.

“That’s all new,” she said. “But people can also get full bar stuff like mimosas and Bloody Mary’s, and whatever else you can imagine for breakfast cocktails. We’re also making most of our syrups for our coffees, so that has been fun.”

313 Dodge’s cafe menu in the mornings, Janel said, includes breakfast burritos and breakfast flatbreads.

“One of our employees is an amazing baker, so she’s making all of our breakfast bakery items,” she said. “We have fresh scones made each week and fresh cinnamon rolls and whatever else she feels like baking. Things change regularly, so that’s fun.”

Janel said the menu also features freshly baked cookies and mint-chocolate brownies, along with Milwaukee pretzels available in both individual and shareable sizes.

For breakfast, she said customers can enjoy a selection of cheese and meat options, plus seasonal treats like a protein plate and an apple pie yogurt bowl.
The beverage menu, Janel said, features a variety of lattes – including seasonal favorites like sugar cookie, gingerbread chai, peppermint eggnog, white chocolate cranberry, salted caramel, pistachio mocha, pumpkin pie and pomegranate Italian soda lattes.

She said they also offer an apple ginger sparkler, along with a selection of other teas and chai lattes.

An all-day destination

Since introducing the new hours and menu, Janel said business has been strong, though it naturally experiences some ups and downs.

“That’s just the business we’re in,” she said. “Wednesdays have been quiet, but then Thursday, Friday and Saturdays during the day can sometimes be busy enough to make us feel like we’re putting money back into the bank account.”

Janel said it’s been rewarding to see the space filled throughout the day, just as they had imagined.
“It’s a beautiful space,” she said. “It’s a renovated house from the 1880s. This carpenter came in and did beautiful woodworking. He did a wonderful job. So, it’s nice to see more people in it and enjoying it throughout the day.” 

At the same time, Janel said the new changes have been a bit intimidating for them.

“The expansion [of hours and menu offerings] is still very new,” she said. “I have to keep reminding myself it is still early, and it’s not like all these people are going to just all show up at one time. We’re just hoping for word of mouth to let people know we have new hours. And while it’s great to have people in the building, it’s also semi-terrifying to have employees in the building from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., because we have to have the sales to make it worthwhile to do what we’re doing.”      

All things considered, Janel said customer feedback on the changes has been “generally positive.”

“I think it’s been a good change and a nice use of the space, and people have been liking it,” she said. “It’s a quieter option for them for coffee and conversation with friends, or even if they’re here by themselves.” 

The Megnas said the space offers a variety of seating options: tables and chairs, plus bench seating in one area; two couches with coffee tables and some high-top tables in a side room; and upstairs, a mix of standard-height and high-top tables and chairs.

“Throughout the building, there are plenty of seating options for people,” Janel said.

With seating for 30 on the main floor, 20 in the side room and 30 upstairs, Janel said 313 Dodge can host a crowd – and that’s before factoring in the outdoor patio when the weather is nice.

Along with the new hours and menu, the couple said they are exploring ways to attract members of the business community – whether established companies with their own offices or independent contractors and freelancers who work from home but need a place to meet clients.

“We have a second story where we have a projector and screen, and it would be perfect for meetings of 10-20 people, where businesses could use that space outside of their actual office,” Janel said. “Or, if someone wants to meet with a client, we have different spots within the building where they could do that anytime throughout the day… We’re trying to change our marketing to reach [the business community] and get the idea into people’s heads that they could use the building throughout the day or even just at specific times for meetings.” 

Janel said they’ve already connected with one business group that will soon hold its monthly meetings at 313 Dodge – a move they hope will help spread the word about the cafe’s expanded offerings.

Other events coming up in 2026

Always looking for creative ways to use their space, the Megnas said they plan to host a monthly storytime with a librarian from the Kaukauna Public Library.

Though the event is geared toward children ages three to five, Janel said kids of all ages – and their siblings – are welcome.

The first storytime, she said, was held in December, and they hope to make it a regular monthly event at 313 Dodge.

Janel said they will also offer free monthly music classes for children, with “Little Melodies with Ms. Karli.”

For 30 minutes, Janel said Karli Reisdorf – a cellist, songwriter and educator based in the Fox Valley – will lead an interactive group of children from ages two through five and their families through an exploration of rhythm, melody and movement.

“Those are exciting daytime things to get young families into the space,” she said. “Then, every Wednesday evening in the winter, we host Wine Bingo, which is a big hit with a lot of people. I think we’re going to be starting to do some trivia.”

For more on 313 Dodge, its new hours and all-day offerings, head to 313dodge.com or check out its Facebook or Instagram pages.