Caleb Duke and his wife Nicole named their coffee shop Grumpy Monkey to stand out a bit from other shops, and of course to give people something to laugh about when they came in.
"We just kind of liked the idea," Caleb says. "It's hard to say something like that without cracking a little bit of a smile."
Their toddler daughter, Lila Belle, who the couple calls their "little monkey," also inspired the name. Her name is even on one of the coffee blends. The Lila Belle blend is always on hand, along with a couple of other rotating blends, such as single origin coffees from Guatemala or Kenya, or a French roast.
When the Dukes opened Grumpy Monkey — a spacious yet cozy café — in December with the help of their family, they came up with a list of "favorites" for the drink menu to go along with the cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and other coffee shop staples (sizes: 8, 12, 16, 20-ounce). Caleb says his mother-in-law told him that she doesn't know what to order in a coffee shop if she can't see it on the menu, so they invented a few drinks that would appeal to the majority of customers.
For a little bit of a kick with your coffee, there's the cayenne mocha ($2.95-4.45), a mixture of dark chocolate and cayenne pepper. For a fruity flavor, try the Eighth Wonder of the World ($3.30-4.80), a banana and coconut mocha. Or go for the Ape Escape ($3-4.50) with white chocolate and almond.
You can also choose between regular hot chocolate ($1.59-3.25) or cioccolata calda ($2.35-4.75), dense Italian hot chocolate. Instead of regular milk, you can opt for almond, soy or hemp milk. To top off the drinks, Grumpy Monkey makes homemade whipped cream daily.
Also made in-house, you'll find an array of baked goods. A few items like chocolate chip cookies ($2.10) and croissants ($3.25) are available daily; other items rotate, such as blueberry cream cheese crumbles, brownies, raspberry oat bars ($2.50 each) and muffins ($2.25). In the next couple of weeks they'll start serving soups and sandwiches, too, says Caleb. ♦
Grumpy Monkey Coffee & Bakery • 2102 N. 4th St., Coeur d'Alene • Mon-Fri, 6 am-7 pm; Sat, 7 am-7 pm; Sun, 8 am-4 pm • 208-665-5879 • facebook.com/grumpymonkeycoffee
