Women-owned coffee trailer brings lattes, acai bowls to Grand Rapids area

BYRON CENTER, MI — A new coffee trailer serving healthy sweet treats to locals and visitors has opened in the Grand Rapids area.

In early September, gym buddies Brenna Vansolkema and Ashley Diemer officially launched their mobile business, Sunrise Coffee Co., at Everett’s Gardens, 240 84th St. SE, Byron Center.

The duo told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press this is their first endeavor in the hospitality industry, citing no previous experience but a clear passion for their path.

“God just made it very clear to us that this is what we’re meant to be doing right now in this chapter,” said Vansolkema. “And we’ve just been having a lot of fun growing and learning and meeting many new people.”

It all started in the fall of 2023 when Vansolkema asked Diemer if she wanted to start a coffee shop with her. She said it was just one of those up-in-the-air ideas, not realizing it would become a reality.

But a year later, the two friends have surprised themselves with what they accomplished.

With their husbands’ help, they spent the time building out the small, 7-foot by 14-foot, bare trailer they purchased in Wayland.

“Every night this past summer, we would work our jobs, and then we would go to work on the trailer,” Vansolkema said. “We would probably get home at 10 p.m. and do the same thing daily.”

The duo both still work their day jobs while operating the mobile shop on the weekends. Vansolkema, 26, is a personal trainer at Cochman Strength & Conditioning, and Diemer, 27, is a recreational therapist at Corewell Health.

“It’s very busy between working our two-job schedule, but we’re learning a lot and it’s been a whole lot of fun,” Diemer said. “Just like anything else, it’s been much more work than we thought it would be, but it helps when you have a good business partner.”

And the success shows. Since opening over a month ago, Sunrise Coffee Co. has seen a consistent stream of customers eager for a specialty drink or filling lunch.

For the fall, the mobile shop features drinks like a pumpkin spice latte, a blueberry French toast latte and a campfire latte. As for the acai bowls, there are two staple options: berry bliss and golden hour.

At $12 a pop, the bowls each have an acai base with almond or peanut butter, granola, chocolate chips, and fresh fruit like strawberries, bananas, or blueberries. Customers can also add toppings like shaved coconut, chia seeds, honey, and white chocolate chips for 50 cents extra.

See the full menu here.

Diemer and Vansolkema are unsure what Sunrise Coffee Co. will offer in the future, but they ask regulars and new customers to “stay tuned.”

“We just keep surprising ourselves,” Diemer said. “We already have new people that we’ve never met before who are our regulars every morning. It’s a unique experience while you’re getting coffee, just the perfect for people to come with friends or their kids.”

Sunrise Coffee Co.’s tentative hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit its Facebook page to stay updated about the trailer’s whereabouts, including this weekend’s Candy Walk event at Everett’s Gardens.

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