Speaking to Glen and Nancy Ellis is nothing short of a boost of energy.
The duo, who own Milady Coffeehouse, exude entrepreneurship. From the start of their technology company to creating an all-inclusive community hub, what the Ellises have created is nothing short of a movement right in downtown Fremont.
In 2014, the Ellises were building a technology company in Fremont when, as they say, they saw the need for a place where entrepreneurs, creators and dreamers could meet up and discuss ideas, collaborate and dream of building the future.
That place would become Milady Coffeehouse.
“Fremont was really missing something like that, something innovative and high-tech … a place to attract young people,” Nancy said.
After getting the technology company successfully off the ground, the couple switched gears to create this space. This would not only help their tech company, but all of Fremont, Glen said.
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“That was kind of our mission to build that environment, to build that space,” Glen said.
A “family adventure” from the start, Milady Coffeehouse, 105 E. Sixth St. in Fremont, is housed in a 5,000 square foot space – The May Brother’s Building. According to information provided by the Ellis family, the original building was constructed in 1881 by the May brothers. They used this space to provide groceries to the neighboring towns and beyond. Throughout the years, the building has been used for a variety of other businesses.
“I love to sit at the front door and watch people come in that have never been here before because it’s truly eye opening. You get a lot of ‘wows’ and ‘oohs.’ And people taking pictures – selfies all the time,” Glen said
All members of the Ellis family have had a hand in the building of this venture. Amy Ellis, their daughter, has been the manager since the beginning. Their sons have helped by being a barista and with the construction. The oldest son and his wife, Brock and Sara Ellis, run the artisan markets held in the building.
From day one, Glen says Amy – who was finishing up her second year as a hospitality major in college when the coffee shop opened – has been a pillar for the business. She was right alongside Glen and Nancy learning the ins and outs of the business.
“We’re entrepreneurs, we’ll dive in and figure stuff out. We’ll figure out where we’re having problems and make changes, make better processes, but Amy has been extremely instrumental,” Glen said.
When you have a coffee shop, Glen said, customer service is very important, and Amy has brought in people to create a great crew around her. There are about 10-15 on staff depending on the season. Glen noted providing jobs for the community is something they take pride in.
“Amy has created an extremely good environment for learning and preparing and for taking care of people, not only the customers but the employees,” Glen said.
Including Amy, there are three managers: Ally Garraway, who handles the venue duties and all things social media related; and Kiara Torres.
“They keep the place humming,” Nancy said.
The coffee service isn’t their only endeavor when it comes to The May Brother’s Building.
“We’re in business to bring people together,” Glen said.
From church service every Sunday and meetings throughout the week to special events such as family reunions, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, funerals – this is what they built this for – the community, the couple said.
Coffee goes well with things like this, Glen noted.
Initially, when they opened, Nancy said it took a bit for the word to get out, letting people know there was something fun and exciting downtown. Being in business for five years, the offerings at Milady are shared through word of mouth.
And, the popularity of the Milady Coffeehouse has reached well past Fremont.
A few years ago, the business was part of the Nebraska Passport program. This got their name out statewide and was the third most visited site that year. Glen noted they have received several accolades including mentions in articles about the best coffee shops in the Midwest.
“A Hundred Places to see in Nebraska Before You Die” and Milady Coffeehouse was No. 1, Nancy said.
Along with events and meeting space, the Ellises started offered concerts. One familiar name that came through was Josh Radnor, who starred in the TV show “How I Met Your Mother,” but live music was put on hold due to COVID.
“That’s the sign of an entrepreneur,” Glen said. “We knew what we wanted. We tried that path of bringing in bands and it just wasn’t the right timing. And not to say another year from now we’ll pick that back up and bring it back in, but that’s kind of what an entrepreneur does. If something’s not working you pivot and do something else, and I think we’ve done that over the years.”
They have done such changes in their coffeehouse over the years.
Having an interest in traveling, Nancy and Glen enjoy visiting small towns in Nebraska. While there they visit the local coffee shops and, in once instance, picked up some tricks of the trade. While visiting Wayne a few years ago, they were told about a wholesaler the shop used. This changed the coffeehouse a lot, Nancy noted. They went from going to bakers to get supplies to getting them from a wholesaler.
When it comes to success, Nancy noted their perseverance. “Sometimes the key to success is not quitting,” she said.
Glen added if there is something they need more information on or something new that comes up, they research, reach out for help – whatever they can do to be better.
Looking forward, Glen and Nancy said they are considering adding more events, which they’ve already started. They recently hosted trivia night and speed dating. This could also include concerts again, Glen said.
Their artisan markets will return as well as they have been a big hit with the community, Nancy said. Everything offered is made by hand and usually by local people. The market kicks off with a spring fling around May. There will be three or four throughout the summer, and will end with a fall festival.
Being community-minded and offering events that support the community like the artisan market is important to the family, and as Glen says, “is in our blood.” This brings in a lot of people to the downtown area.
“Downtown Fremont is becoming a little bit more lively at night,” Glen said. “So that’s going to help us. Before we just could not draw a crowd at night, but I think people’s attitudes in Fremont are changing. That there could be stuff here in Fremont, you don’t have to go to Lincoln or Omaha.”
As the Ellises continue to grow their hub, they are now going to be offering office space in the building. The second floor of the three-floor building is currently being renovated. It has 1920s office space, Glen said, adding, they are bringing back life to this area.
There will be about 16 office spaces available.
This was part of the original plan, Nancy said – supporting local entrepreneur space.
This May, Milady Coffeehouse will celebrate five years of being in business. They have not decided on how they will be celebrating yet, but the community can be on the lookout.
The coffeehouse is open 7 a.m.- 7p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 8 a.m.—7 p.m. Sunday.
