
November 4, 2024
BELLEVUE – Jen Hintz said her and her family’s hankering for Lotus energy drinks, as well as the choice of many lattes in the Green Bay area, led her down an entrepreneurial path.
The caffeinated result is Wisco Sips, which Co-owner Hintz said is a coffee shop and so much more.
Though Wisco Sips’ menu includes standard and seasonal lattes, she said its Lotus energy drinks – which are made from plant-based sources of caffeine – are what helps them stand out from coffee-centric competitors.
As the establishment nears its first anniversary, Hintz said she can’t help but reflect back on the journey that led to Wisco Sips opening.
A brewing business
Hintz said the idea for the shop arose in Rhinelander when her family would visit their cabin and stop at Northern Grounds Coffeehouse once or even twice a day.
“We really liked the variety of lattes, huge list of syrups, fun whipped toppings, goodies and the Lotus energy drinks,” she said. “It was so fun. But then we’d come back here (to Appleton) and no coffeehouse had it. My daughter, Gracin, and I said we’d do anything for a Lotus energy on the way to work one morning, and then we kept talking about it.”
Eventually, Hintz said, they did more than just talk.
Though the two were already plenty busy working for their family businesses – Dedicated Systems and Dedicated Repair – she said the idea had been planted to start a store to serve Lotus energy drinks.
In 2021, Hintz said she reached out to the Lotus company to inquire about becoming a distributor for the product, as her family’s trucking company could accommodate deliveries of pallets of product.

Though Lotus opted to keep its existing two distributorships in the state, she said she didn’t let go of the idea of being a customer – nor did she give up the idea of starting a coffee shop.
Instead, Hintz said she went back to where it all began: Northern Grounds Coffeehouse and its owners, Craig and Jen Tucci.
At first, she said she planned to exclusively approach the Tuccis about Lotus.
However, Hintz said a friend suggested asking if they would consider serving as consultants, including for recipe development – and the Tuccis agreed.
“They said they absolutely would work with us,” Hintz said. “They were (honored that) we thought so much of them and their products.”
Hintz said though she considered leasing a location in West De Pere for the future business, when her family’s business suffered a fire that required a complete facility rebuild, those plans were put on hold.
“I called Jen and Craig back and said, ‘(The coffee business) is going to happen, but we’re not just sure when,’” Hintz said.
With her attention pulled to the other businesses, she said the rebuilding process inadvertently led her to rethink the location of the drink shop she still dreamed of opening.
After reviewing the Dedicated Systems and Dedicated Repair location – just off an Interstate 43 exit – Hintz said she saw the benefits of the traffic statistics and the growth trends of the Village of Bellevue and decided to incorporate the coffee business into the rebuild.
“Leasing from ourselves took a little anxiety off, and we decided to do it here,” she said.
It’s all in a name
With the location secured, Hintz said the next focus was to decide just the right name for the business.
As they struggled to decide, she said both her and Gracin agreed on avoiding the term “coffeehouse” because the Lotus energy drinks were to be a significant feature.
They also steered clear of calling it a “brewhouse,” Hintz said, to avoid the impression the business was a craft beer brewery.
She said they turned to their co-workers, one of whom suggested “sip” – which Hintz liked, with Gracin adding “Wisco.”
“I feel like Wisconsin people are wholesome and genuine, and having Wisconsin in our name creates a good name for ourselves,” Hintz said.
With an apt name chosen, she said Wisco Sips – with her and Gracin as co-owners – opened its doors and drive-thru to customers Nov. 9, 2023.
Caffeine central
Located at 3700 Elm View Road, Hintz said the Wisco Sips storefront is unique in that it resides within a business and area in which big trucks come and go.
The three-business facility, she said, not only allowed the owners to use the new space more efficiently, but it also allowed customers and all three businesses’ employees to use the space and access its community lounge outfitted with recliners, tables, benches and outdoor patio.
“I was originally thinking we’d just offer a drive-thru, but there are so many people who want to come in and see our faces, so we included that,” Hintz said of the lounge.
She said a further bonus of the shared location is truck drivers – especially those who have brought their rigs to be fixed by Dedicated Repair – who enjoy the drinks and relaxation at Wisco Sips.
Whether customers choose the drive-thru or the lounge, Hintz said she instantly became aware of how many visitors wanted more than a mere caffeine fix.

“I learned quickly that we had to offer something to eat, which is why I have cookies and muffins from Butcher Shop Bake Company in Rhinelander – they’re amazing,” she said. “We also have egg bites and have been trying krullers.”
Though Hintz said she and Gracin continue to adjust the food options, the enthusiasm for Wisco Sips has been constant from both local and longer-distance customers.
“I’m speechless at the support,” she said.
Mixing it up
Hintz said she and Gracin were always drawn to Northern Grounds Coffeehouse’s vast standard menu, as well as its seasonal menus, and sought to likewise feature multiple menus as part of their business plan.
The co-owners said they will occasionally tweak the standard menu, though its core offerings heavily mirror those of Northern Grounds, with different names.
“We’re grateful they were willing to share all their menus, including their seasonal menus, for one year,” Hintz said.
As a self-professed Christmas fanatic, Hintz said she devoted extra effort to Wisco Sips’ Christmas menu last year, though she said all menu redevelopment is time-intensive – and necessary.
“By the time a new seasonal menu appears, we can see a change in sales,” she said. “It’s not that people get bored, because we have amazing regular (drinks), but many people have to come in to do the whole menu, one by one.”
What’s percolating next?
Hintz said Wisco Sips will soon feature dirty sodas – a combination of soda, coffee creamers and flavored syrup.
The menu isn’t the only expansion the co-owners said they have in mind, as the hope is to soon officially announce the opening of a second Wisco Sips location.
“I feel like if we had five more of me, we’d have five more locations,” Hintz said. “But I don’t want to grow faster than we can handle.”
Though Hintz said she has spent a great deal of time working on and in the business the past year, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’re having so much fun,” she said. “People love coffee. The people coming here are happy to be here, and it’s so fun to serve people. I’m so grateful to Jen and Craig… They created such a great thing, and sharing that with me has been a huge part of our success.”