Mighty Fine! Coffee Co. has opened its new drive-thru location at 127 14th St. NW in Faribault, complete with an indoor counter, customer seating, and, for now, a speaker that doesn't work. Despite that glitch, cars have kept lining up anyway, according to co-owner Nathaniel Cunningham.
The opening caps months of work to transform a building that once held a laundromat into the coffee shop's new home, according to the Faribault Daily News. Cunningham said the community has been welcoming, with many people telling him they're happy to have the coffee shop there. He also said cars have continued to pull up to the drive-thru window even with the broken speaker, a hiccup the team is still working through as it settles into the new space.
A separate conflict in the record over the building's history is worth noting: while the Faribault Daily News reports the location previously held a laundromat, an earlier 2024 NewsBreak report described the purchased building as most recently home to a pet-grooming business alongside an adjacent open lot. The two accounts don't line up, and nothing in the record resolves the discrepancy.
Preserving a Piece of Faribault's Past
Whatever stood there before, the owners have made a point of holding onto some of the building's original character. Mighty Fine! painted the exterior walls green and preserved the building's original sign post, work that co-owner Jordan Brennan tied directly to the company's mission. Brennan said they wanted to revitalize it and protect the town’s history, according to southernminn.com.
That sign is about 70 years old, and keeping it required a bit of city cooperation. The Faribault City Council voted to approve a variance allowing Mighty Fine to continue operating the sign as it is, per the same report, and the company now plans to install a new sign in mid-November to advertise the drive-thru itself. The council's involvement with the project goes back further than the sign dispute, too: in July, members approved a slate of resolutions for the project, including a comprehensive plan amendment, zoning map amendment, preliminary and final plats, a conditional use permit, and variances for parking and drive-thru areas, according to southernminn.com's earlier coverage.
Roastery, Menu, and What's Next
The new location isn't just a drive-thru window. Inside, there's some seating set up for customers who want to stick around, and the building is also where Mighty Fine! has moved its roastery equipment, meaning it will now roast and package its products from the same site going forward, per the same account.
On the menu side, the shop has added a caramel apple cold brew and is developing an upcoming winter menu, while staff continue training to improve drink-service efficiency as the new location works out its kinks, including that balky speaker.
Looking further ahead, Cunningham said the larger goal is opening a location in downtown Faribault. That ambition echoes what Brennan described earlier this fall: using profits from the drive-thru concept to eventually purchase and operate an official cafe somewhere in Faribault’s downtown. Brennan said he hopes it's something the pair can pursue in the next three to four years, though no opening date has been set.
