Mountain Ground – offering coffee, breakfast, lunch

Jim Paul

Contributor

December 15, 2025

MOUNTAIN – A new coffee shop is now open in Mountain, offering drinks and meals to local residents, and, so far, Owner Charlie Ritter said the response has been “terrific.”

“It has been all very good,” she said. 

Though she admits the first weekend involved some trial and error with recipes, Ritter said the business has since settled in.

“We learned from that, we grew and now, hopefully, it is all good,” she said.

Ritter said she is not a typical business owner in that she just finished high school this past spring.

During her final semester of homeschooling, she said she took classes through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s (NWTC) entrepreneurship program, which gave her the idea and confidence to start her own business.

Though she had thought about careers in interior design or as a surgical technician, Ritter said the classes at NWTC changed her direction.

“I love hospitality and customer service and getting to meet people,” she said. “I do not see why anyone would not want to own a business. I love it so much. It is a great path for me.”

Ritter, a Mountain resident, said the idea for a coffee shop came from conversations with family and community members, who agreed the town could use one.

Building on her experience working at a local diner, Ritter said she decided to take the initiative and open the coffee shop herself, with support from her family.
She said for her, the most rewarding part of running the coffee shop is forming personal connections – meeting townspeople, making new friends and becoming an active part of the community.

Ritter said she takes joy in brightening people’s days and values having a place where she truly feels at home.

From ice cream shop to coffeehouse

When searching for a location for Mountain Ground, Ritter said she discovered the building that formerly housed Scoopers Ice Cream was available. 

Though a perfect location, she said moving in presented some challenges, primarily because the kitchen’s existing electrical system couldn’t support the new appliances needed for coffee preparation and food service.

On top of that, Ritter said one of the coolers failed just as they were about to take possession of the space.

Fortunately, she said her brother, an electrician, was able to upgrade the kitchen to handle the load.

Aside from the electrical work, Ritter said the remaining updates to the building were largely cosmetic: a wall was added to separate the bathrooms from the dining area and new paint and decor refreshed the space.

“A lot of our furniture is all secondhand,” she said. “We wanted it to feel more like a house in here rather than a restaurant. We set it up to be friendly and nice.”

Ritter said the Mountain Ground name represents her dedication to environmental responsibility as well as her appreciation for the natural surroundings.

Furthermore, since the shop is surrounded by forests, Ritter said the name celebrates both the town and her love of nature.

The Mountain Ground experience

Though not a regular coffee drinker herself, Ritter said she learned the craft of coffee-making from a friend who owns the Daily Drip in Shawano, figuring things out through trial and error.

“The first weekend, I did not add enough syrup in many of my drinks, so you could really taste it,” she said. “I then added more and that took care of the problem.”

To maintain consistency, Ritter said all of Mountain Ground’s recipes are meticulously documented to ensure customers receive the same high-quality drink regardless of which barista is working.

Mountain Ground’s coffee, she said, comes from New Morning Coffee Roasters in Appleton and features beans imported from South America.

In addition to coffee shop staples – such as lattes, Americanos and mochas – Ritter said Mountain Ground offers a variety of seasonal options.

Some of those available this holiday season include:

• Fa La La Latte
• Candy Candy Lane
• Christmas Chai
• Sugar Plum Fairy
• Toasted Coco

“If anyone is looking for a good bean, I would definitely check them out,” she said.

Being the only coffee shop in the area is one thing, but Ritter said the real distinction comes from the food offered at Mountain Ground.

“The food is a little more upscale, but it is affordable, so you can come here multiple times a week and not break the bank,” she said. “I really wanted to keep my prices low for mothers, children and retired people to come in and try without being worried about the price.”

Top breakfast items so far, Ritter said, include a yogurt bowl with homemade granola made by her mother, Cheryl, and avocado toast, with avocado and a hard-boiled egg on sourdough.

Wraps, she said, have been a popular lunch choice, with the Fire Lookout Tower Wrap – featuring fajita chicken, cheese, onion, pepper, corn, black beans, lettuce and sour cream – standing out as a favorite.

Ritter said the Bonita Burger with the works is also a popular choice.

Other menu items, she said, include grilled cheese, battered fries, the MG Special, New York bagels and a handful of other wraps – such as the Cathedral Woods Wrap and the Trail Wrap.

Since opening in early November, Ritter said her biggest challenge has been a positive, yet unexpected one – running out of food.

She said she never imagined going through so much inventory, especially so early on.

Though Mountain Ground is currently staffed by herself and her mother – who manages the cooking – Ritter said she is already planning to add another team member.

She said she also plans to host events at the coffee shop, including children’s storytime – which debuted Dec. 11 – and candle-making classes.

Looking ahead, Ritter said she hopes to expand the coffee shop’s activities, including creating an outdoor spot for live music and contributing to the launch of a local farmers’ market.

‘Make it exist,’ then ‘make it better’

As a young entrepreneur, Ritter said she encourages others to pursue their own business ventures and not worry about achieving perfection immediately, noting there is ample time to improve along the way.

“First make it exist and then make it better,” she said.

Mountain Ground, Ritter said, is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Thursday through Monday – at 13960 Hwy. 32 in Mountain.

Check out the coffee shop’s Facebook Page for more details.