Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights recent developments in Dubuque; Greeley, Iowa; and Manchester, Iowa.

Local coffee roasters La Venta Specialty Coffee have opened a cafe in Dubuque’s Cable Car Square.

The company has international roots. Daniel Luna and Natalie Ceron started growing coffee in the Colombian village of La Venta de Cajibio, which later became their company’s namesake.

“It’s a coffee region,” Luna explained. “There is a lot of agriculture there.”

About six years ago, Luna and Ceron started roasting and exporting their coffee. Last year, they started roasting in Dubuque, joining family members who had previously settled in town.

Their customers quickly let them know they wanted to see more from La Venta than just online coffee sales.

“We started to build a business plan around the concept (of having) a nice place where people can come, make meetings, make business, make contacts, enjoy a coffee or other beverages … and (get) something to eat,” Luna said.

La Venta Cafe opened at 452 W. Fourth St. on April 1, coinciding with the start of the Fenelon Place Elevator season.

“We’ve been so busy,” Luna said. “We’re so happy.”

Luna said the location in Cable Car Square, not far from Dodge Street or the heart of downtown, happened to be ideal for attracting tourists and locals alike.

Menu options include espresso-based drinks, cold-brew based coffees and several non-coffee beverages. They also sell bakery products from Millwork Bakery and from Tangy Loaf — another Dubuque-based company with Colombian roots.

“We’re going to try to offer both local and international bakery (products) for people to enjoy,” Luna said.

Aside from just enjoying the quality of the coffee, Luna said he hopes customers learn about and appreciate the entire farm-to-cup process.

One future plan to make the cafe a social hub is a once-weekly Spanish conversational club, initiated by local Spanish language teachers.

Currently, La Venta Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, but Luna said these hours might change in the future or differ seasonally.

More information is available at the company’s website, laventacoffeeco.com, or Facebook page, facebook.com/LaVentaSpecialtyCoffee.

Greeley feed store under new ownership

A prominent business in the small Delaware County community of Greeley is under new ownership.

Earlier this year, Jay Puffett took over Gary’s Feed Store at 107 W. Third St. The business sells, manufactures and mixes different kinds of feed and specializes in chemical and seed application.

“We serve any customer from a small backyard chicken (coop) to a large-scale feeding operation,” Puffett said.

Outgoing owners Gary and Mary Kay Johannes started the business in 1977, turning it into a prominent ag business serving residents of Greeley — a largely agriculture community — as well as farmers in area counties.

“The community loved Gary and Mary Kay,” Puffett said.

Puffett, too, is a familiar face. He has worked at Gary’s Feed Store since 2012 and was long seen as the successor to the Johanneses.

“It’s been a few years in the works, with Gary wanting to retire,” Puffett said.

Aside from his previous experience working at the store, Puffett’s agriculture experience includes an agronomy degree from Iowa State University and, alongside his brother, being the fourth generation to run his family dairy farm.

Puffett said longtime loyal customers at Gary’s will not see many changes — but he has hired on some new people and hopes to grow the business.

“I’m mostly keeping things the same,” he said. “We added a few new faces (and are) hoping to add a few more as we grow.”

There will also be upgrades to the feed mixing system, Puffett said, which he expects to be completed by mid-May.

Manchester shop relocates

A Manchester consignment store has a new home.

New To You serves partially as a high-end consignment store, owner Abby Holtz said, but it offers numerous items that could be found at a typical boutique. These include clothing lines, jewelry, candles and various home decor items such as accent lamps and rugs.

Cowgirls might consider stopping in.

“We gear toward some Western boutique wear,” Holtz said.

She said that most of her store’s product is intended for everyone. “All ages are welcome,” she said.

Holtz recently moved her boutique to the north side of Manchester at 1711 N. Second St. She said the new space has more than double the square footage of her former location at 100 N. Franklin St. in downtown Manchester.

Holtz already owned the new space — it was formerly The Gathering Place, her events business. She said bookings had slowed down at the venue toward the end of last year, making it a good time for a change by closing that business and moving New To You into a larger building.

“We decided it was a good time to say we’re no longer taking bookings and enter a new chapter in 2025,” she said.

Holtz said the new location is large and beautiful.

“It’s very modernized, very up-to-date,” she said. “It gives you a great feel when you come in. It’s a nice cozy space for shopping.”

Potential future changes to New To You include bringing in a menswear line, Holtz said. However, she said her inventory is always changing.

“We’re an ever-expanding business,” she said. “There’s always new products, new inventory.”

New To You’s regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The shop is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Updates and news are available at the shop’s Facebook page at tinyurl.com/NewForYouManchester.