FroYo + coffee + Rhinelander = Happiness

Lisa Haefs

Contributor

December 8, 2025

RHINELANDER – Owner Chris Reed said Cool Beans FroYo Cafe isn’t just about serving coffee or frozen yogurt – it’s about serving happiness.

“Frozen yogurt plus coffee equals happiness is our motto,” Reed, who opened the shop in late November, said. “We want people to chill here, sip here and stay awhile.”

Reed said she spent the spring and summer transforming a vacant space at 191 S. Anderson St., right in the heart of downtown Rhinelander, into Cool Beans.

“Rhinelander has several coffee shops, but none of them really offer a place where you can just hang out visiting or reading and relaxing,” she said. “Our goal is trying to reach a variety of different age groups. We also have a special play space for moms with young children who may want to stop in during the morning or afternoon.”

Reed said the café even features a blackboard with chalk for budding artists.

“I wish I could keep every drawing,” she said. “Absolutely amazing artists visit.”

Chasing her dreams

Reed said the idea for Cool Beans stems from her childhood in Rhinelander.

Having worked in restaurants since she was 14, she said she’s never lost her passion for the industry.

After a 22-year career in nursing, Reed said she “decided to take care of some of my dreams.”

The menu at Cool Beans, she said, is simple because she doesn’t want to “bite off more than I can handle right now.”

“I do foresee adding more items in the future,” she said.

Holding soft opening hours throughout November, Reed said the shop held its official grand opening Nov. 29.

A list of permanent hours is available on Cool Beans’ Facebook page.

A latte love

At Cool Beans, Reed said Wisconsin-based Stone Creek Coffee comes in every form: lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, chai and drip – hot or iced.

Specialties lattes, she said, include:

• Muffin Man – which features white chocolate and blueberry served with whipped cream and a mini muffin
• Finley – a latte with caramel and banana cold foam topped with caramel
• Trap Rock River – which features vanilla, toffee crunch and chocolate syrup topped with whipped cream, toffee and sea salt
• BFF – made with vanilla, brown sugar and cookie butter, topped with whipped cream and crushed Biscoff cookies

And of course, Reed said, no self-respecting restaurant in Rhinelander can resist naming something after the mythical Hodag.

Cool Beans’ version, she said, is a latte with white chocolate and peppermint topped with chocolate cold foam and crushed Andes mints.

The shop’s self-serve frozen yogurt machines, Reed said, always feature chocolate and vanilla plus a rotating variety of seasonal flavors – which recently included pumpkin, cake batter, raspberry and peppermint.

The café, she said, also serves an Affogato, which includes yogurt with a shot of espresso.
Additionally, Reed said Cool Beans offers Lotus drinks – a line of plant-based energy concentrates made from natural caffeine sources such as green coffee beans.

Often mixed with sparkling water, regular water or lemonade, she said they come in various flavors.

“Those are really popular with teens,” she said.

Reed said customers can build their own or choose from specialties, including:

• Golden Harvest – which includes gold Lotus, pineapple, pear and peach flavors, topped with a skewer of pineapple bits
• The Ark – made with gold and blue Lotus along with pineapple, kiwi and pomegranate syrup, topped with edible glitter
• Peachy Keen – featuring pink and cream Lotus with peach and strawberry syrup, topped with peach rings
• Blue Bird – which contains purple Lotus with lemon, blueberry and lavender syrup topped with blueberries

Reed said customers can pair their drinks with homemade croissants, cinnamon rolls, cheesecake or cookies.

Pizza, she said, is also available, including Lotzza Motzza and a gluten-free option.

In addition to walk-in business, Reed said Cool Beans can deliver on request to local businesses for orders of more than $25.

More than a café

Beyond coffee and froyo, Reed said Cool Beans offers a growing line of merchandise, including T-shirts and books by local authors, and hopes to host events like trivia and karaoke nights.

“We really want to appeal to all ages, including teenagers,” she said. “Part of our goal is to create a place where older students can hang out and socialize in an inviting atmosphere, too. We’re centrally situated in a great location for that.”

Reed said she is assisted by a staff of 10, many of them high schoolers just entering the workforce.

“When I was 14, I had a mentor who really taught me my work ethic,” she said. “I’m hoping to do the same with many of my employees.”

To keep up to date on the café’s specials, head to its previously mentioned Facebook page.

“We are enthusiastic about serving our community,” she said. “We offer a fun, warm environment where customers can ‘stay while.’”