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January 26, 2026
APPLETON – Brewed Awakenings reopened in early January after closing for what Owner Nora Asplund described as a long-overdue flooring update – its first in decades.
“We’ve been in the space for going on 21 years now,” she said. “My parents actually own the building, and we’d been wanting to redo the floors for many, many years. But the timing was never right. But my dad just retired from his business, so the timing now worked out for us. And we found a really nice guy to do it. So, everything just fell into place.”
The coffee shop was closed from Dec. 26 through Jan. 4 for the flooring project, which Asplund said had never been updated in the 100-plus-year-old building.
“They had to be sanded down, then seamed, which was followed by the new floor being installed,” she said. “That needed to cure for about three days. So, it took a full week altogether.”
Closing for the renovations wasn’t easy, but Asplund said customers have warmly welcomed the upgraded flooring.
“We’ve had a lot of feedback about how nice the floors look since we reopened,” she said.
Asplund said the flooring’s dark coffee-bean hue has a rustic look, largely due to the building’s age and the condition of the original floor.
“The finish we had on before was very worn down, and there were spots that were actually bare wood,” she said. “There was nothing ever done to the floors that I’m aware of, so they were pretty worn.”
Asplund said the deep color gives the floor a cleaner, brighter – “happier overall” – appearance, while still retaining a slightly rustic, antique feel.
“It still looks a little rustic and antique-like,” she said. “Because of the age of the boards, the stain didn’t actually take to some of the corners of the boards, so you can see a little white in those areas. But, it actually looks kind of on the cool side.”
New coffee bean supplier
Along with the new floors, Asplund said Brewed Awakenings has updated its coffee beans.
At the end of last year, she said the shop switched to Madison roaster Wonderstate – which offers organic and equitably sourced, locally sourced coffee.
In addition to ethical sourcing, Asplund said Wonderstate emphasizes environmental stewardship and transparency, partnering directly with farmers and cooperatives and paying well above industry standards to support resilient communities.
“Their philosophies were what attracted us to them,” she said. “Besides being concerned about the environment and sustainability, using solar power whenever possible and paying farmers more than industry standards, they treat their employees well by focusing on equity and inclusion and care deeply about where their coffee is grown. Those things are important to us as well, and we wanted to align ourselves with such a like-minded company.”
On top of that, Asplund said Wonderstate’s coffee simply tastes great, too.
“Customers have mentioned they think the taste is noticeably better, including the espresso, which has a much smoother taste,” she said.
First major changes in several years
Redoing the floors and switching coffee bean suppliers, Asplund said, mark the first major changes Brewed Awakenings has made since the COVID-19 pandemic.
When COVID-19 forced a four-month closure in 2020, Asplund said Brewed Awakenings refreshed the paint throughout its 1,300-square-foot space, added a booth to complement the tables and chairs and upgraded the countertop using repurposed wood from the building’s days as a shoe store.
Today, in addition to the booth added during the pandemic, she said Brewed Awakenings offers 17 tables that seat four each, along with a fenced-in outdoor courtyard that can be enjoyed year-round.
Asplund said the shop also began using DoorDash and Grubhub to make deliveries during the pandemic – an option they still offer today.
With ample wall space in the cafe, Asplund said the shop’s Artist of the Month program highlights local talent by showcasing their work.
Artists interested in participating, she said, are welcome to stop in, explore the space and discuss their ideas with her.
The menu – a little bit of everything
Asplund said Brewed Awakenings serves more than just coffee, offering a variety of breakfast and lunch options – from wraps, paninis and homemade quiche to yogurt parfaits, build-your-own omelets, vegan burgers, bagels, sandwiches and soups.
The beverage menu, she said, features a wide selection, including lattes, espresso, cappuccino, chai, tea, Italian macchiatos and sodas, lemonade, smoothies, frappes, as well as milk, soda and orange juice.
Asplund said the shop’s most popular drinks include lattes and the monthly featured beverages, while frappes are a favorite specialty option.
Brewed Awakenings’ signature drink, she said, is the White Zombie, a Café Bianco espresso with steamed milk and a choice of flavor.
Take-home options, she said, include large coffee orders for 10-12 people, retail bags of coffee, bulk Wonderstate beans, metal straws and tea infusers.
To complement the drinks and meals, Asplund said Brewed Awakenings offers homemade bakery items to tempt any palate, including muffins, scones, biscotti, cakes, brownies, crumb bars, sliced bread and cinnamon rolls.
Brewed Awakenings also offers catering, and Asplund said they plan to expand this service in 2026.
No order is too big or small, she said, and anything on the menu can be included.
Customers, Asplund said, are asked to provide at least 24 hours’ notice for catering requests.
Humble beginnings
Asplund said few people know the story behind Brewed Awakenings.
The business, she said, was originally started by her and her sister as a homeschool project, while their brother attended the school across the street.
“My sister, who was 17 at the time, was originally working at the coffee shop that was in the space before us, and the lady wanted to sell,” she said. “So, we all sat down and over dinner decided to do this as a homeschool project. My sister, brother and I pitched in some money to buy it, and my sister and I did our school work during downtimes and worked the coffee shop and cafe during the other times.”
Asplund said the project eventually came to an end as both she and her sister focused on starting families.
When her sister moved to Arizona in 2007, Asplund said they sold the business to Jeff Maroszek’s Aspen Coffee & Tea.
She said she continued working for the new owner, handling all the baking for his five or so cafes and restaurants over the next five years.
In 2015, Asplund said the business returned to the family, and she became the sole owner.
She said her parents continue to own the building, and in an ironic twist, Maroszek is now her significant other.
Today, Asplund said the team includes seven employees, a mix of full- and part-time staff.
Brewed Awakenings – located at 107 E. College Ave. – is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Head to brewedawakenings-appleton.com for more details.
