There’s a new ‘coffee place’ on the edge of downtown St. Joseph, right on the way to and from Silver Beach.
Ashlee Blakeman has opened her ‘Daily Dose Coffee Co.’ at 800 Lions Park Drive—the corner of Lions Park Drive and Park Street, right at the bottom of the Park Street hill. Daily Dose will share the space with Stephanie Ott’s ‘Base Bowls and Company’, which operates seasonally in the beach neighborhood.
Ashlee opened the doors Monday morning at the new location, relaunching ‘Daily Dose’ after a few months off to welcome her second son into the World. Last May, Ashlee had started Daily Dose as a coffee trailer, parking in many busy tourist and workplace locations around Northern Berrien County. She says that went well, but the uncertainty of lthe weather, coupled with her growing family caused her to cease operations and sell the trailer over the Winter.
Now, she’s excited about the new, permanent St. Joseph location and the tasty coffee drinks and some new favorites she’s serving to customers. Ashlee told us she was pleasantly surprised with the in-store traffic from mid-morning through midafternoon, with only social media buzz to drive opening day customers.
Daily Dose Coffee Co. will operate Monday-Saturday from 7am-4pm. As the tourist season kicks in, Ashlee expects to hire staff to expand her hours into the evening and Sundays, but for now, she describes herself as a “one woman show.”
Ashlee is especially pleased and excited to be partnering with Base Bowls and Company in the location, as she considers owner Stephanie Ott to be a mentor for her business. Base Bowls operates year-round on St. Joseph Drive, just off Niles Avenue in St. Joseph and seasonally on Lions Park Drive where its catering operation is headquartered.
Asked for the ‘highlights’ of her new Daily Dose menu, Ashlee pointed to ‘Dirty Sodas’: popular soft drinks with flavor syrup shots and a creamy base added. Dirty Sodas originated in Utah and have been spreading across the country for the past couple of years. With a smile, Ashlee says she’s got the recipe and it’s a hit with Gen Z customers.
Ashlee acknowledges that parking is a challenge in her new location, especially during ‘the season.’ There are a few on-street spaces on both the North side of Park Street and the West side of Lions Park Drive, just outside the store. Otherwise, she says “walkers and runners have the edge” during busy times. Turning that into a positive, she points out that the busy corner is one of the most popular crossroads for walking and running in the City.
If you have questions about Daily Dose Coffee Co., reach owner Ashlee Blakeman at 269-332-4849.
