‘Better begins with fresh ingredients, flavor, creativity’

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

July 8, 2024

WESTON – According to Weston House Cafe Manager Kathryn O’Keefe, better begins with local products, choices, variety, fresh ingredients, flavor and creativity.

Weston House Cafe – which opened in early May at 3200 Schofield Ave., Suite 1 – aims to offer that.

The locally owned and operated cafe, O’Keefe said, specializes in coffee, smoothies, açai bowls, light snacks and house-made pastries – all at an affordable price.

Something she said the Greater Weston community needed.

Building community

O’Keefe said the support the cafe has received from the community in the opening weeks has gone above and beyond anyone’s expectations – many noting Weston needed a place like this.

O’Keefe said being located in the same building as Adventure Awaits Crossfit – which relocated to the space in April – was building owner Jeff Evenhouse’s idea focused on building community.

“In my experience, cafes are becoming a fun add-on to many spaces,” she said. “It helps build community, and it’s a nice space for people to gather – especially in Wisconsin, where you need an indoor place half the year.”

However, O’Keefe said the Weston House Cafe isn’t only geared toward CrossFit members.

She said the cafe has already attracted several younger patrons who come in, get a smoothie bowl and sit and chat with their friends.

O’Keefe said Weston House is already turning into a community hub.

“The CrossFit gym has a strong sense of community to start with,” she said. “It was almost like a natural progression providing these healthy options for the CrossFit crowd and the Weston-Wausau community.”

Local products for the win

Focused on providing healthy food options to the community, O’Keefe said that starts with locally sourced ingredients.

“I grew up in Wisconsin, and I think we have an awesome and local group of food businesses – especially in Central Wisconsin,” she said. “There are many local products that are impeccable.”

Specifically, O’Keefe said Weston House Cafe sources products/ingredients from Nueske’s (Wittenberg), Mullins Cheese (Mosinee), Ruby Coffee Roasters (Stevens Point, Rhinelander), The Stewart Homestead (Tigerton), Pure Sweet Honey (Verona) and Kreger’s Bakery (Wausau).

“I’ve consumed all of these local products before, and now I get a chance to spotlight and bring attention to them,” she said.

O’Keefe said it isn’t just the food options that are Wisconsin based.

She said the cafe’s decor has a “Northwoods cozy” feel to it – with all the tables made out of locally sourced wood by the Amish community.

“They’re beautiful – I think someone comments on them everyday,” she said.

Health creates wealth

O’Keefe said eating well should be “delicious, healthy and convenient” – something Weston House Cafe strives to provide.

“I love to eat, so I wanted it to be enjoyable in addition to being wholesome and healthy,” she said. “My assistant manager is going to school for health science and wellness – with a food and nutrition certification – so she has had a big part in (helping create) the smoothie bowls and smoothie menu.”

These menu items, O’Keefe said, include things like hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds and even blue and green spirulina.

“It is important to include various foods in our diets to obtain different nutrients to help our bodies thrive – which is a mission of our menu,” she said.

The proof, O’Keefe said, is in the pudding – or rather the smoothie.

“It’s been a fun mix because people have been wanting something with a lighter, healthier option,” she said. “We’re across from a Kwik Trip, and there’s a bunch of chain restaurants around, but there aren’t many cafes or light lunch options.”

Customers, O’Keefe said, have been eager to learn about the menu items’ ingredients, as many of them have never heard of some of them before.

The Weston House Cafe team, she said, plans to create fact sheets to define the ingredients and show customers how each benefits the body.

Menu choices

Weston House Cafe’s menu, O’Keefe said, has evolved from the original idea of offering only smoothies and chicken wraps.

It was a natural progression to offer salads, she said, which then led to breakfast sandwiches and flatbreads – eventually landing on a “diverse menu.”

“It’s working well for us,” she said. “People are excited about all the options. Two of our salad options have a grain mix in them – that’s something I wanted to introduce. When I lived in Madison, I would go to Forage Kitchen and enjoy the grain salads. I’ve never found another place that had anything like that.”

Maybe a little outside the usual norm for the area, O’Keefe said she sees people moving into the area and enjoying the atmosphere and the feeling of freshness found throughout the varied menu.

O’Keefe said the cafe’s mainstay smoothie bowls – which are thicker than a typical smoothie, with more of an ice cream consistency – come in various flavors, including Açai Adventure Bowl, Purple Power, Vibrancy, Nutty Cinnamon and The Reef.

Each bowl, she said, is packed with fruits and granola.

The cafe, O’Keefe said, also offers regular smoothies in varieties such as Green Paradise Smoothie, Lavender Blues Smoothie and Island Breeze Smoothie.

All of Weston House’s granola, baked goods and dressings are made in-house.

O’Keefe said the cafe plans to expand its menu periodically with seasonal offerings.

Visit westonhousecafe.com for a look at the cafe’s full menu.