Bites Nearby: This Oakdale Coffee Shop Is A Dream Come True!

Located in the former Mrs. Bʼs coffee location in Oakdale, the nonprofit , is owned and operated by The Salvation Army. The first of its kind in the nation, Dreamcoat Coffee and the Salvation Army joined forces about seven months ago. The cafe is run like a small business.

According to manager Kristen Carlson, the nonprofit coffeehouse idea was the brainchild of her husband, Lars. “We used to own and operate the Dreamcoat Cafe in Stillwater, MN. The Salvation Army were frequent customers of ours at the old cafe in Stillwater. After we sold it in 2003, my husband went to work for the Salvation Army,” said Carlson.

“Our entire family was involved in the cafe in Stillwater and we all missed it,” Carlson said.

Once the Mrs. Bʼs location opened up, and because of Carlsonʼs past work history of owning a cafe, Larsʼ vision of combining the ministry of The Salvation Army boutique with a nonprofit coffee house became a reality. (Dreamcoat Coffee is next to the Salvation Army boutique in Oakdale.)

“Each time a customer buys a food or drink item, they are supporting a great cause—The Salvation Army. You could say our customers are helping save lives,” Carlson said. Carlson said she believes The Salvation Army combination of boutique and coffeehouse will soon take off across the country.

For now, her family is yet again involved in the operations of a cafe. Carlsonʼs mom, Barb Knutson, is in charge of the in-house baking operations and is creating fabulous baked goods.

“Back when we had the old cafe, I hired out an older generation of expert bakers to teach me how to bake. That was about 20-some years ago, and now Iʼm back at it again, running the in-house bakery for Dreamcoat Coffee,” Knutson said.
Have no doubt about it though, Knutson is not just any baker. Sheʼs baking up extraordinarily good stuff! It just makes it that much harder to let the secret out about Dreamcoat Coffee.

Letʼs just say Knutsonʼs famous, mouthwatering, old-fashioned baked caramel rolls ($2.95 each) says it all. These rolls are created from a top secret recipe that sheʼs not willing to share. “I had to pay for that recipe, so no one is getting the recipe,” she laughed.

These rolls are the real deal. Theyʼre wickedly sinful with a super sticky texture and a mouthfeel that is buttery rich. Youʼll be hard-pressed to find a caramel roll like this anywhere! If you want one, youʼll need to get there early.

Homemade bread fans should order up a grilled club sandwich ($8.50 with chips) made with fresh-fried, smoked bacon served on hand-cut, seven grain bread. Boxed lunches are available for businesses or groups, just call ahead.

With graduation parties right around the corner, make sure to pre-order pans of Knutsonʼs caramel melt aways ($2.95/bar) and/or Andes chocolate mint bars ($3.25). These caramel melt aways are filled with thick and gooey caramel, chocolate chips, toffee bits, brown sugar and butter, and yes, their sweet goodness will melt your heart away.

The Andes mint bar starts with an Oreo crust base. This bar fills your soul with rich chocolate and finishes with a blast of refreshing mint. Perfect for a midsummerʼs night!

Another great feature of Dreamcoat Coffee is its convenient drive-thru window. Try a cold pressed coffee ($2.50/16 oz.) on warmer days and a hot zebra mocha ($3.50/16 oz.) on cooler days. Their cold pressed coffee is made with filtered cold water and brewed for over 24 hours, making for a smooth and sculpted body.

The zebra mocha is like drinking a toasted-chocolate marshmallow. It consists of hot espresso, white and dark chocolate, and is topped with real homemade whipping cream and gourmet chocolate drizzle. Yum!

For more information call: 651-779-7746
Dreamcoat Coffee is located at 6060 50th St. N. in Oakdale