Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights developments in Kieler, Wis.; Maquoketa, Iowa; and Dubuque.

A new coffee trailer has hit the streets of Kieler, Wis.

Tabitha Vosberg recently opened FarmGirl Coffee Shoppe in Kieler. The trailer is a mobile operation, though it currently operates six mornings a week on the U.S. 61/151 frontage road — Prism Lane — near Grant County Truck Bodies.

“It’s been going really well,” Vosberg said. “I’m just looking forward to continuing to get my name out there and just meeting more people and more customers.”

Vosberg, 19, recently graduated from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and works on her family’s dairy farm. The coffee business offers an independent revenue stream, as well as an opportunity to give back to the Kieler community, she said.

She said she was prompted to open the trailer by Kieler’s recent growth. After discussing it with her family, she decided that growth warranted her own addition to the burgeoning local business scene.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and this seemed like a good time,” Vosberg said. “Kieler has been growing extremely rapidly, and we just thought that we were getting to the point where (the area) could use a coffee shop.”

The FarmGirl Coffee menu includes a wide range of caffeinated beverages such as lattes, macchiatos and drip coffee. Vosberg also offers chai tea and a variety of lotus energy drinks.

The trailer currently operates each morning off U.S. 151, though the mobile nature of the business means she also can take the trailer to different locations or special events as requested or desired.

While separate from the family dairy operation, Vosberg said FarmGirl Coffee still is rooted in and inspired by her rural background. The insulated unit was constructed from a flatbed trailer using pieces of wood from her family’s barn to make the exterior walls, she said.

“I’m a farm girl. That’s where the (FarmGirl Coffee) name came from, and I really wanted to bring a part of the farm into the business and show off that history,” she said.

FarmGirl Coffee Shoppe is open 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday near Grant County Truck Bodies. Additional information is available online at farmgirlcoffeeshoppe.com or at the FarmGirl Coffee LLC Facebook page.

Storage facility opens in former Maquoketa furniture store

A well-known Maquoketa building has come into its second life as a self-storage facility.

Cody and Tasha Foust recently opened Owl Storage Solutions at 418 N. Main St., the former home of Owl Furniture. The 114-unit facility offers a variety of unit sizes with monthly rental rates starting as low as $55.

“We’re excited about becoming part of the Main Street community,” said Cody Foust. “We live pretty close to the facility, and we drove past it at least 10 or 20 times a week, and we were always looking at it and wondering how it could really come back to life.”

Foust said he and his wife, Tasha, purchased the building last year and soon after began the remodel process. The former furniture store had sat empty for over a decade, Foust said, so much of the interior needed to be gutted and remodeled.

The Fousts had a new roof installed and intend to carry out additional exterior improvements this summer.

“Everything inside is pretty much brand new,” Foust said. “Now we’re just getting the outside to look as good as the inside.”

All units are roughly 8.5 feet tall with square footage ranging from 48 square feet to 80 square feet. For comparison, Foust said the smaller units are well suited to storing the furnishings of a mid-size bedroom while the largest unit could hold the contents of two full-size bedrooms.

Renters have 24/7 access to the climate-controlled units, and payments can be made online for added convenience. Additional information and rental information can be found online at owlstoragesolutions.com or by calling 563-212-1713.

Dubuque gym gets new owner

A Dubuque gym is under new ownership.

After more than a decade in the fitness industry, Kim Burken, of Dubuque, purchased XRP Fitness at 190 N. Crescent Ridge. The gym first opened last fall just past McGrath Dubuque Harley-Davidson, and Burken took over earlier this year.

“I have a passion for helping people stay fit and active, and this just seemed like a way to jump in and make that happen,” Burken said. “We only get one body, so it’s important that we take care of it the best we can.”

XRP Fitness is focused on functional strength training aimed at improving people’s overall health and making everyday movements easier, Burken said.

The gym offers a variety of group and one-on-one training sessions, and members also are welcome to stop by outside of class time for individual workouts. For drop-in members looking for a more structured workout, Burken said XRP has online training routines available.

“A lot of people like to come to the gym and not have to really think about what all they need to do or what order to do a workout,” Burken said. “We wanted to still meet that need even if people aren’t able to come to an in-person class.”

A core value of the gym is education, she added.

In addition to the training sessions, the gym also offers nutritional support and educational materials on a wide range of topics related to healthy living. Gym staff also help members track their progress, celebrating milestones and promoting accountability.

The goal, Burken said, is to help people feel empowered to take control of their health while minimizing the fear or intimidation that can come with walking into the gym for the first time.

“Knowledge is power,” Burken said. “Our minds can often be the thief of our own joy, and our mindset can sometimes be the thing holding us back. By offering those educational opportunities, we want to give people the power to change that mindset around exercise.”

XRP Fitness offers classes Monday through Saturday and can be contacted by phone at 563-659-7924 or on its Facebook page at facebook.com/XRPdubuque. A complete class schedule can be found online at xrpfitness.com/dubuque.