I am beyond thrilled to introduce two amazing women in Lake Country who have contributed to this area in so many wonderful ways! I have been inspired by Heidi Laatsch and Hilary De Vries, the dynamic sister-duo behind Roots Coffeebar & Cafe, since the first day I stepped into the charming coffee shop over a decade ago. Together, they have woven and transformed their childhood dreams into a thriving realty right in the heart of Oconomowoc, and now they are a staple in this community. They’ve created a space where people can meet, spend quality time together and have meaningful conversations in an amazing and welcoming space.
Their unwavering dedication and love for this community expands well beyond the cafe. Additionally, they spend time volunteering on the board for the Downtown Oconomowoc Business Organization, organizing events in Oconomowoc, at their local church, and on the PTO board.
Their journey here and the values both Hilary and Heidi hold play a large part in their decision to chase their dreams in 2011, and the profound impact they have made on this community ever since. I was honored to interview them, and share more about them and their story here. – Jessalyn Rich
About Hilary and Heidi
We are sisters, and growing up we always talked about owning a coffee shop together some day. Our desire was to build a place for people to meet, and spend quality time together. We come from very hard-working parents; our Dad was an electrician for 34 years, and our mom went back to school to be a nurse after having five kids.
A year before our parents were set to retire to explore the world, our dad learned he had ALS and had only two years left to live. They showed us that life is too short to have dreams stay dreams. After a lot of planning, saving and hard work, we opened our dream coffee shop in August 2011. Our family and so many locals helped make our vision a reality. Thankfully our dad was able to see our dream come true before passing away in October 2011. He is very much a part of the coffee shop every day. On any given day you may see our mom, sibling, or even child working and helping out.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
We are very family orientated. We come from a big family, that all live in the Lake Country area. When we get together- which is quite often- there is a total of 22 of us. Heidi has a husband, Jason, and a daughter and son in college, and Hilary has a husband, Kaleb, and two sons 8 and 4 years old.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do. How did you choose that path?
Hilary: I love working behind the bar, and I try to take as many breaks as possible when doing office work. I also volunteer as a board member of the Downtown Oconomowoc Business Organization putting on events. I also volunteer at church for the children ministry. Lastly, I am on the PTO board for my son’s school.
Heidi: I do a lot of the behind the scenes day-to day operations. I also volunteer as a board member of the Downtown Oconomowoc Business Organization putting on events. I also volunteer at church as part of the greeting team. We both love being a part of the community as much as we can. We love seeing people spend time and enjoy our beautiful community as much as we do.
Q: At one point you had another location; can you tell us more about that?
Yes, we did open a second location in downtown Waukesha. One of our employees, Nate Darrow, always dreamed of owning his own cafe and we made him general manager at that location. After a couple years, it made sense for him to take over and make his own dreams a realty of owning a cafe as well. Today, his cafe, Mountain Top Coffee, is thriving and we are so proud to see everything that Nate accomplished.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
We absolutely love seeing people take time out of their busy lives to gather and connect with one another. We also love gaining more knowledge and insight from our amazing employees. They teach us knew things every day, and we love being a part of the growth of Roots right along side of them.
Q: What was the most difficult challenge in getting to where you are now or in your life?
Learning how to prioritize what in life needs the most attention at any given time- work, family, kids, self… It was hard to step back from the cafe, but it has been really important for us, our staff, and the cafe.
Q: What is the most rewarding part?
Casually hearing people making Roots a part of their day.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
Don’t give up, if you want it bad enough it will happen, and be willing to give it your all.
Hilary and Heidi & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
There is this outdoorsy charm, in the middle of a downtown. There are so many different things to do outside, no matter what the weather is. Also, there are a variety of local shops and restaurants that also create a vibrant atmosphere.
Q: Who is an interesting person you’ve met here in our community, and how have they inspired you?
Our customers, each and every day.
Q: What 3 words would you use to describe our community?
Supportive. Connected. Vibrant.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Hilary: I love to pressure wash and deep clean things, inside and outside the house and work.
Heidi: even though I am an introvert and love to read, I also love to be a part of group exercise classes. I like going to barre classes and cycling classes.
Q: What is your favorite menu item at Roots Coffeebar & Cafe?
Heidi: I love the Clapton Sandwich and our cold brew.
Hilary: Twisted Grilled Cheese and black coffee. I love our coffee.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Our awesome family and employees.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be with? Why?
Our dad. So we can tell him all the amazing things his kids, grandkids, and wife have been doing the past 11 years.
Q: Any general life advice you would like to share?
To be unapologetically you.
Where to Find Hilary and Heidi at Roots Coffeebar & Cafe
rootscoffeebar@gmail.com
(262) 443-2411
Website: rootscoffeebar.com
Instagram: @rootscoffeebar.ocon
Facebook: The Roots Coffeebar & Cafe
