Insider Guide: Kim Duer

Kim Duer is the owner of the Koffee Kuppe in Fremont. She has always worked in the restaurant business but after taking a break from it for five years to run an antique store, she found herself drawn to being a restaurateur after seeing a soda shop set up inside of an antique store in Bay City. The building next to hers was empty and available for sale, so on a Monday she called the owner of the building and by that Tuesday she owned it. “I still didn’t know what I was going to do with it!” she jokes.
 
The Koffee Kuppe started out very simply as a coffee shop with a very limited menu – one weekly special sandwich, some pastries, a few ice creams. Now she has a full espresso bar and serves 16 flavors of Hudsonville Ice Cream (including gluten-free and sugar-free); fresh soups daily; a whole menu of specialty wraps, sandwiches, panini and hot dogs; breakfast and “the best omelet bars and salad bars on this side of the state, I swear!” The shop has outdoor seating with a beautiful deck covered in fresh flowers with umbrellas to offer some shade, and the whole place is decorated in historic Fremont décor. Behind the Koffee Kuppe is a country gift store that Kim also owns, and the focus there is on Michigan-made products – Kim’s latest project, as someone who admits to getting bored often.
 
There are a number of different popular local events held in Fremont every year, the biggest of which being the National Baby Food Festival held every third week in July. It’s a huge event that brings in a lot of tourists (the locals tend to stay away), and there are concerts, vendors, a big parade, 5/10k runs, bike races, even a baby food eating contest and baby crawl. But if you want to experience Fremont like the locals, check out the Harvest Festival in October. This event brings all the locals out for the annual Hike & Bike (a walk/run/bike race), pumpkin rolling competition, a beer tent and more. And in the winter they have the Snow Bash with a chili cook-off (which Kim has won two years in a row).
 
Fremont is very much an arts-oriented town, which is celebrated with the Fremont First Friday Art Walk held on the first Friday of every month. The area is also surrounded by lakes, which makes it a nice tourist destination. For other restaurants and bars, Kim recommends the Blind Squirrel Tavern, Kelly’s Pub, Side Street Café and One East Main.
 
There are also a variety of unique shops, including everything from upscale resale and a quilt store to a 100-year-old family-owned shoe store. Bella Vie Boutique is popular, and Rivers End sells “really nice” clothing for women of all ages. The Fremont Market Place is something new and exciting for Fremont and there are a lot of fun events that go on in the farmers market.