‘Smiling Moose’ coffee, gift shop to open in Kasson

Smiling Moose Gifts is planning to open this April at 408 Main Street in Kasson, which is the former Hy-Vee Pharmacy location. Owners Kim and Steve White plan to offer a general gift store and a drive-through coffee shop. 

The Whites are excited to offer the community a drive-through coffee option. They are planning to construct a commercial kitchen at Smiling Moose Gifts, with Benike Construction of Rochester handling the renovation.

“I noticed that Kasson did not have many options for retail or for coffee shops,” Kim said. “I found the building for sale, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to utilize the existing drive through window for the coffee shop, and bring my gift store experience on board to provide more services to the Kasson community.” 

Kim said they will partner with Trail Creek Coffee Roasters in Kasson and Fiddlehead Coffee Roasters in Rochester to source the coffee and Rochester’s Mandala Tea company for the teas.

Included on the coffee shop menu will be espresso drinks, hot and cold brewed coffee and teas, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, soups, desserts and hand-dipped Bridgemen’s ice cream. Smiling Moose Gifts will also have grab-and-go items, snacks, beverages and candies. 

The gift store will offer unique gift items for all ages, from baby to adult. Smiling Moose Gifts will also stock home décor, Kasson-Mantorville sports apparel and accessories, women’s apparel, accessories and jewelry. 

Hours at Smiling Moose Gifts will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.   

Kim and Steve are from the Pine Island area originally. In 2010, the couple moved to Delta Junction Alaska, as Steve was offered a job at Boeing on the missile defense base there.  While there, Kim started a year-round gift shop, as the closest shopping was 100 miles away, in Fairbanks.

They operated the Smiling Moose gift shop in Delta Junction, Alaska for over four years.  While there, the State of Alaska Park system asked Kim to run the Big Delta State Historical Park in Delta Junction, Alaska, which catered to scheduled bus tourists during the summer season.

The park gift shop was a great opportunity to share locally made Alaskan crafts and gifts to the tourists, Kim said, but the caveat was that she had to also feed the tourists, so she operated the café and gift shop at Rika’s Roadhouse Café and Gifts from 2015 through 2018.

“We initially went to Alaska thinking we’d only be there for a year or two” Kim said, “and we ended up staying for eight years.  If it wasn’t for the fact that we missed our families, we’d probably still be there.”

The couple left Alaska for Rochester in the fall of 2018, to be closer to family. 

“We looked around and thought the Kasson area would be a good place to buy a home,” Kim said. “We liked the community and the location.  It has a small town feel while still being close to Rochester.”

 Kim said she’s hoping to bring both a retail and coffee/food opportunity option to Kasson, which encourages the community to shop locally, and to save shoppers a drive to Rochester.

“If for example, your child comes and says ‘Oh, mom, I have a birthday party tomorrow,’ you could come in and get your birthday gift all wrapped and ready to go, without leaving Kasson, and have a cup of coffee while you are there. It’s another retail opportunity we hope will provide a service to the community.”