Hailee Wallner stands inside the location of her future business, Ivy Café, on Ryan Street in Pewaukee.
Hailee Wallner stands inside the location of her future business, Ivy Café, on Ryan Street in Pewaukee.
There is still a way to go before Ivy Café is ready to open, but owner Hailee Wallner is excited to see her vision coming to life each step of the way.
She hopes the café off of Ryan Street in a strip mall that is anchored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Waukesha County thrift store will open no later than Sept. 1.
The dream to open a coffee shop can be traced back eight years when Wallner started volunteering at her church’s coffee shop. She learned she really enjoyed making and serving coffee. Then, about four years ago she got her first bona fide barista job.
“I have loved doing it every day,” she said. “I like the environment that a coffee shop can create.”
In 2024, Wallner graduated from Waukesha County Technical College with an associate’s in business management. She said the hands-on coursework helped to prepare her for opening her own business.
When the opportunity arose to open her own café, Wallner said she decided to seize it.
“I feel like it fell into my lap for a reason,” she said.
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Pewaukee, she said, was also ripe for another coffee shop. There isn’t a lot of intense competition and no major brands are located nearby.
Wallner also hopes to attract visitors to Pewaukee Lakefront Park, whether they stop on their way to or from the beach.
Ivy Café will offer specialty coffee beverages, including lattes, cold brews and drip coffee, as well as options for non-coffee drinkers such as fresh fruit smoothies and plant-based energy drinks. Wallner plans to make all of the coffee syrups in house.
“My goal is to have a lot of variety in my menu,” she said.
To eat, there will be pastries, acai bowls and other options.
“Ivy Café has been a concept in my brain for like four years; seeing it come to life and all of the pieces come into place has been exciting,” Wallner said.
(Have a Waukesha County restaurant news tip? Email Katherine Beck at kbeck@conleynet.com)
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