WALES, Wis. — Mama D's Coffee has been a gathering place for the village of Wales for 14 years — and it all started with a yearning.
WATCH: Wales's Mama D's coffee has been a community staple for 14 years
"Opening this was about, you know, when you say, 'Where should we meet?' And often [it would be] a coffee shop," said Diana, the owner of Mama D's. "So I felt the need and the yearning, [however] I don't know what came over me because I don't have a business degree."
Despite not having a business degree, Diana used her background in nutrition and food service, combined with a love for old and historical spaces, to help her take the leap to open Mama D's Coffee.
She opened the shop inside a historic old bank building situated along the Glacial Drumlin Bike Trail, near Kettle Moraine High School, and said the location, rich with community and history, was a natural fit.
"It has all kinds of community around, and I like things that are old and sort of historical, so I opened it just on a yearning to see or a passion to see what would happen," Diana said.
She spent the first three years working behind the counter herself, and some of those early regulars still come in today.
"I was just reminiscing on the Romeos," Diana said. "The retired old men who eat out, they would come every morning and they would sit and have their coffee and discuss the world, everything."
Mama D's opens at 6 a.m. The summer menu is currently available.
For more information, visit their website.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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