Cosmic Coffee brings 'food-truck mentality' to Central Avenue corner cafe space

Dusty Wahl, Cosmic Coffee

Dusty Wahl has dreamed of running a small food business since he was a high school student in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. A couple of decades later, the Waite Park resident and mental health counselor is getting his chance with Cosmic Coffee.  

The coffee shop opened Feb. 3 in the former Sammie's Avenue Eatery space at 3301 Central Ave. NE. 

Wahl works at a drop-in support center in the Seward neighborhood but has lived in Waite Park with his wife, Casey, for almost eight years. In addition to his mental health career, he has worked stints at Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John's restaurants.

He recently spoke with the Waite Park Voice about his plans for the coffee shop. The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: How long have you lived in Waite Park?

A: Almost eight years — eight years in March. My wife, Casey, grew up in Northeast. We had looked around in a couple different places. I wasn't sure about Northeast because I didn't know much about it, but I'm so glad we moved in. It's been the best. We've got great neighbors. There's been turnover. The people that left, it's been sad to see them go, but it's been awesome seeing the new people come through and the growth of the community. It's fun. It's got suburban neighborhood feels but with city mentality, which I appreciate. You get to know your neighbors. 

Q: Tell me about the origin story of Cosmic Coffee.

A: Ever since high school I have wanted to do something food related, either a food truck, or I've thought about doing a hot dog cart — just something small to get started. When we moved in and Hill Valley was here in this spot, I loved the space. I love the vibe in here, the local aspect, being part of a community in the neighborhood, within walking distance from where I lived. I noticed that it switched ownership once or twice and so I always keep my eye on the place. 

When I saw the for lease sign in October, a friend was coming into town the next day who is really into coffee and runs his own business out in L.A. I asked him if he’d be interested in running a coffee shop in Minneapolis, because he lived here before. We called the number on the lease. The next day we took a tour of the place. Then we waited about a month before we got that it was ours and then the lease started in December. It was a quick turnaround.

Q: What do you hope will distinguish Cosmic Coffee from previous shops in this space?

A: I bring a food-truck mentality to the space, where I have food pre-made and ready to go. You come in and order and get your stuff right away. We are a cashless operation, to try to keep things moving faster. My hope is to have some fairly consistent hours and communicate if those hours change. I want to be open at 6 a.m. everyday so that if only one person in the neighborhood wants coffee at 6 a.m., that person can come get it. My mantra is that I am here to provide the community and the neighborhood with coffee and a gathering space. My main goal is just to be here and be available. 

Right now my hours are closing at noon. That might continue on, but I do hope to add some evening events and hours, whether that’s consistently or on a calendar basis — the purpose being to utilize that backspace. I love that backyard area. It's a beautiful area. It's great in the summertime and I would love to see the neighborhood be able to gather in that space on a more regular basis.

Q: What else should people know about Cosmic Coffee? 

A: It's a one-person operation. I'm not hiring anybody right now. I figured, with the employee market so volatile and people leaving and getting sick and having to quarantine, the best way to be reliable and set expectations for the community is for it to just be me. Food should be pre-made and ready to go for folks. Coffee might take more time because it's just me preparing the coffee, as well, but I want to talk to people when they come in. I want to get to know your name. I've got discounts for people in the neighborhood. I really want it to be a neighborhood, local spot for folks. 

Cosmic Coffee is open 6 a.m.-9 a.m. Monday and 6 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Sunday. More info at https://cosmiccoffeemn.com.

—Dan Haugen