Dropping an anchor in downtown Green Bay

Rachel Sankey

Past Staff

July 11, 2023

GREEN BAY – A new coffee shop has anchored itself right off the Fox River in downtown Green Bay.

Anchor Coffee, located at 401 N. Washington St., opened late last month and is connected to another recent addition to the CityDeck – the Waterfront Market.

Amy Van Vleet, managing owner of the new coffee spot, who also owns The Candy Bar with locations in Suamico and Baileys Harbor, said the idea for the shop was sparked from a conversation from late last year – a conversation that started about chocolate.

“We have a chocolate store – The Candy Bar in Suamico and Baileys Harbor,” she said. “We do a table sampling at (Discover Green Bay’s) holiday reception every year. Christie Barlament manages CityDeck Landing apartments. She was there and she asked if we would be interested in being in their new market with our chocolates. So we said, ‘yes, of course.’”

Then, Van Vleet said the CityDeck team decided to host a New Year’s Eve party for the residents as a way to showcase the different shops that would be featured in the new Waterfront Market.

“We came for that, and we met Sean (Dailey), the owner,” she said. “He showed us the space and said he wanted a coffee shop (in our current space) because it was like a smoothie shop before.”

The opportunity, Van Vleet said, was hard to pass up.

“They had the counter and everything set up (from the previous shop),” she said. “We just started a coffee shop in Baileys Harbor last year, so I told him I could help them set it up. He said, ‘well, no, you should just do it because I’m going to hire somebody to do it.’ By the end of the night, we were doing a coffee shop together.”

By June of this year, both Anchor Coffee and Waterfront Market were open to the public.

For right now, Amy Van Vleet, managing owner of Anchor Coffee, said the shop is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week while the team gets to know its customer base and traffic patterns. Photo Courtesy of Anchor Coffee?

A nautical name
While waiting outside the shop one day to meet with Dailey, Van Vleet said she watched as the Dousman Street Bridge went up to allow a ship – that had a large anchor hanging from it – to pass through.  

That, Van Vleet said, was partly the inspiration for the name.

The other reason, she said, was more personal.

“My family – our yearly vacation is a cruise in the winter – loves cruising,” she said. “I (also) always go to the old-school thinking of wanting to be the first in the phone book. So, I thought, ‘Anchor.’”

And just like that, the name Anchor Coffee was born.

The inside of the shop is a clear reflection of the name, with nautical-themed decor and photos throughout the space – complete with a blue, black and white color scheme.

The offerings
With one of The Candy Bar locations being in Baileys Harbor, Van Vleet said it only made sense for Anchor Coffee to serve Door County Coffee.

Customers can order the typical coffee and espresso drinks – drip coffee, lattes, mochas and more.

For those who want a caffeine boost but aren’t a fan of coffee, Van Vleet said Anchor also offers Lotus Energy drinks – a plant-based caffeine concentrate that comes in a variety of flavor options, such as Gold Lotus and Blue Lotus.

Van Vleet said Anchor Coffee currently has 30 different Lotus drink flavors to choose from.

Loose-leaf teas are also available.

And, as for food, Van Vleet said they’re in the process of expanding the menu.

“We have breakfast foods in the morning,” she said. “We’re adding on some sandwiches and some soups.”

Business and the community
Since opening late last month, Van Vleet said business has “been great,” as many people have visited and helped get the word about the new shop out.

“We had Aisha Morales from WBAY come in and she posted (about being) an anchor at Anchor,” she said. “We got 100 Facebook followers after that.”

Van Vleet said Josh Myers, center for the Green Bay Packers, also made a visit.

The Anchor Coffee team has also been making regular radio appearances – one being the new Maino and the Mayor morning show, which airs from 6-8 a.m. weekdays on WGBW 97.9 FM/1590 AM and is hosted by radio/television personality John Maino and former Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt.

“We’ve partnered with the Maino and the Mayor show next door for their new radio (program) they (recently) started,” she said. “So, I bring them their coffee in the morning, and we have some little morning banter.”

Currently, Van Vleet said Anchor is open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily until the team learns what the traffic patterns are like, which she said also allows for them to get acquainted with the customer base.

“I want (customers) to have a nice, comfortable place to hang out (with) great drinks,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

To keep up with Anchor Coffee, head to anchorcoffeeshop.com.