Pinky Promise Coffee under new ownership

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

April 20, 2026

STURGEON BAY – Pinky Promise Coffee, located at 60 S. Madison Ave. in Sturgeon Bay, welcomed new owners, Sammie and Ryan Fredericks, in February.

After discovering a love for roasting coffee beans while running their mobile coffee trailer – The Street Brew – the couple said they knew buying Pinky Promise was meant to be.

The Frederickses said they now bring that passion directly to customers, offering freshly roasted beans for home brewing and convenient delivery.

Sammie said she’s been in the coffee industry since around 2016, starting as a barista and learning the craft of making drinks – unaware it would ignite a lasting passion for coffee.

While running her cleaning business, Sammie said she traveled across the Door County peninsula, visiting coffee shops and falling even more in love with the craft.

“That was the highlight of my morning, someone making a yummy drink,” she said. 

Sammie said when they decided to launch the coffee trailer, the goal was to create a similar excitement, while also providing a learning opportunity for their homeschooled children, giving them hands-on experience in sales and running a business.

“Keeping the kids in the business has been a great aspect as well, because not only have they been involved with The Street Brew coffee trailer, they’re also involved in Pinky Promise,” she said.

The Frederickses said work on the coffee trailer started in May 2025 and came together by August, while at the same time collaborating with Pinky Promise’s former owners to create a signature coffee blend.

As fate would have it, Sammie said she mentioned to Ryan in December that she hoped to open a brick-and-mortar shop within the next 10 years.

So, when Pinky Promise went up for sale in January 2026, she said they approached the former owner the same day to ask about continuing their coffee blend for the trailer and to explore purchasing the shop.

Drawing on their coffee industry experience, Sammie said they recognized the brick-and-mortar shop as a step up from the trailer in scale and scope.

“We were here for hours that night talking, and after that, we knew this was our calling,” she said. “We felt like the opportunity was right, and it came at a perfect time.”

Their roots in the area, the Frederickses said, give them a natural connection to the local audience.

They said owning Pinky Promise allows them to give back to the community they love while creating a space where neighbors can gather over great coffee.

“We get to make the coffee, have people come here and enjoy themselves,” she said. “We offer great service, great drinks and the guests have really enjoyed it all. Plus, we still have the trailer, which will be running during the summer farmers’ markets.”

Sammie said running either business doesn’t feel like work – because she simply loves coffee and the opportunity to make people’s days a little brighter with it.

“Now, I get to make it for everyone else to enjoy,” she said. “I think that portion of it is so fun, and I don’t [look at it] as a job.”

Learning to roast

Ryan said Pinky Promise stands out in the area thanks to its specialty imported beans, roasted to perfection in-house.

Ryan – who has taken on the role of dedicated roaster – said the difference between pre-made blends and roasting on-site is significant.

Before taking over the shop, Ryan said he had never roasted coffee, so he traveled to Minneapolis and took a roasting class at Mill City Coffee to learn the craft.

Even after two months, he said he’s still mastering the art.

“It’s all about timing,” he said. “There’s a very fine line of being just right. Learning it all right now is the fun part. The bean is pretty forgiving, thankfully.”

Ryan said he experimented with different roast levels to understand how each not only looked but also tasted.

The borderline burnt batch resembled a dark roast – slightly too strong for his taste – so he said Pinky Promise typically stays in the medium-dark range, where the shift from medium to dark happens quickly.

Quality, Ryan said, looks and tastes like perfection in a cup.

“Smooth and bold, [and] not overly acidic,” he said.

Community response to the new ownership

Though their ownership is still new, Sammie said they have already seen many first-time visitors discover the coffee shop – and nearly all of them leave as converts, promising to return “all the time.”

Sammie said the community’s response has also been overwhelmingly positive, with customers pouring in on opening day.

“It was more than we expected,” she said. “We’ve been steadily growing busier and busier, and I’m sure the weather has been helping with that, and will continue to as it gets warmer. We’ve also been making our presence known on social media.”

Having their own custom blend has made a real difference, Sammie said, as they devoted hours to tasting, mixing and adjusting to craft the perfect profile.

The blend has become so popular, she said, that customers have asked if they can purchase it for home use. 

“It’s really nice to have so many people asking if they can get it for their own coffee makers at home,” she said.

Staying true to the previous owner’s vision, Sammie said they emphasize organic, real-ingredient offerings, including protein powders and all-natural syrups.

“We try to focus on whole, clean ingredients,” she said. “In today’s world, processed and artificial is so easily accessible, but we’d rather offer good, healthy, clean and delicious coffee.”

While keeping the shop’s look and feel largely the same, the Frederickses said they have expanded the menu to include popular items from their mobile coffee trailer, such as frappes, Lotus Energy Drinks and dirty sodas, plus a rotating “drink of the week” and a specialty signature menu.

Sammie said the new menu has been a really big hit so far.

“People really loved our Emerald Isle during March,” she said. “It was an ice drink and pistachio flavored. Another big hit is the dirty sodas, which are becoming a lot more popular overall.”

Wholesale potential

Embracing the community feel of coffee shops, Sammie said she encourages visitors – especially those working from home – to stop by, enjoy a treat and make the most of the welcoming space.

“I know if I were staring at the same scenery at home, I would want to go somewhere else that’s nice, cozy and inviting to hang out for the day,” she said.

Looking ahead, the Frederickses said they hope to grow not just their shop but also the reach of their coffee.

One of their biggest goals, they said, is to have Pinky Promise beans available in local hotels, Airbnbs and bed-and-breakfasts across the area.

“We want people from all over to experience it, taste it and enjoy what we get to enjoy every day,” she said. “Then of course, come down and grab a bag of beans and a treat for the road.”

The Frederickses said they are also looking into wholesaling their coffee to local businesses, while continuing to offer their full lineup online through subscriptions, sampler packs and a customizable “pick six” option.

“The mix and match [option] allows customers to create their own blends in some fashion,” Sammie said. “We’ve had a lot of people know exactly what they like, which is great. I’m already learning what some of my customers want as soon as they walk in, it’s nice.”

Though they are experienced business owners, Sammie said the scale of Pinky Promise is new for her and Ryan as they continue to learn along the way.

At the same time, she said she knows their success relies on local support and is focused on making the community feel at home in their year-round coffee space.

“We want our community to know we’ll still be around when the tourists are gone for the year, and there’s not much to do up here,” she said. “We want people to be able to enjoy themselves and do fun events like book clubs at our venue.”

Learn more at pinkypromisecoffee.com.