Brewing creativity in Leland

By Chris Loud

Sun contributor

Blue Boat Coffee in Leland features meticulously sourced coffee, brewed with a passionate attention to detail by homegrown Leelanau locals. They also represent a growing trend of young families moving back to the area because of their love for this unique peninsula, creating a life and work balance through entrepreneurship, and the invigorating satisfaction of being contented by their locale.

I spoke with Greta Campo of Blue Boat Coffee, a third generation Leelanau County resident. She and her husband Joe, along with Joe’s sister Amanda Johnson and her husband Todd, own and operate the business. Originally from Suttons Bay, Greta spent some time at Michigan State before moving back to the area. She eventually was able to raise a family and start a business, right here in Leelanau.

A confluence of events that all happened within a couple years quickly established the Campo family as Leland community business leaders, and it all took place while raising their now 2-year old daughter. A few years back Joe had a chance to take over Carlson’s Fishery with lifelong friend Nels Carlson. They also had an opportunity to buy into the Dam Candy Story, another Fishtown staple.

The next year, the space where Blue Boat resides became available. Joe’s sister spent a decade in San Francisco where she became an aficionado of the local coffee scene. She noticed the lack of coffee in the area, and she had always wanted to open a coffee shop. Amanda also brought her experience as a designer, which helped the family creatively focus on concepts for the name that fit the area itself and their own experiences in the area, without being too cliche. A favorite boat in the family, attached to much of their nostalgia in Leelanau, was named Blue Boat. Soon, Blue Boat Coffee took shape, and they’re enjoying their fourth season in Leland.

Greta spoke about a growing trend of young families moving to the area to open businesses and set down roots. She met a couple from Chicago at the beach in Leland recently that spent much of their time brainstorming ideas on how to move up here, get jobs or make their own jobs, and create a lifestyle in a region they love. Greta imagined the thought process of vacationers like this family. “I think it’s very common for people who vacation here to think, wow, would this not be the coolest place to raise a family and live? How can we make this work? What are the schools (like), what kind of jobs can we do in the area?”

It’s that desire to move here, and then figure it out, that excites young creatives and entrepreneurs. Greta summed it up with a common phrase that applies perfectly to this concept — “You fake it until you make it. You find a way to sustain your family up here so you can be where you want to be.” Greta said she now has a handful of classmates from Suttons Bay who own and operate businesses in Leelanau and Grand Traverse Counties.

There was a bit of a learning curve in starting a business from the ground up, and making sure they served the coffee at the level they wanted to offer and enjoy drinking themselves. But they took the time to research and develop the sourcing and brewing methods that worked for their goals, while balancing on the fine line between a high quality product and remaining affordable for local residents.

Blue Boat’s coffee is from Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids, which is meticulously sourced from all over the world. Madcap representatives visit the farms in Ethiopia and Costa Rica, and have close relationships with the farmers. Madcap also roasts their coffee in a way that Blue Boat prefers for their end product. They do not roast their beans very darkly, which allows for the regional distinct flavors of the coffee to come through, creating a more flavorful coffee, while also representing the source soils of the coffee at full potential.

At Blue Boat, they have also learned to be very meticulous themselves when it comes to their brewing process, to keep the taste at the highest potential. They weigh, and time, and keep track of almost every variable in the process to make sure they are very consistent.

The space itself is very unique. It’s peaceful, and tucked away in a courtyard off the main street. It presented some initial challenges as well, since it’s not as easy to see and walk in while strolling the main drag. But soon people began seeking them out. Right now they’re the only dedicated coffee shop in Leland. They have a lot of local regulars, but also get a lot people from out of town looking for the quality of coffee they might be used to in larger cities.

Blue Boat sells other things besides coffee, including products from 9 Bean Rows, Third Coast, Kelsey Barnes, and John and Linda Sisson, who formerly ran Sisson’s Main Street Specialties in Leland. The space is very clean, inviting and friendly, and isn’t trying to be too trendy and sterile. Go check it out if you’re in Leland looking for a quality cup of coffee from a family-run, local business.