Lakeville coffee retailer named nation's top independent coffee shop by USA TODAY

From chicken sandwiches and cinnamon rolls to ice cream and now coffee, Minnesota businesses are finding themselves in the national spotlight.

Tapestry Coffee in Lakeville is the latest to earn bragging rights after being named the nation's best independent coffee shop in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

For co-owner Scott Van Daalen, the recognition is something he never imagined when he and his wife began exploring the idea of opening a coffee shop during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We always kind of talked about someday maybe we'll open a coffee shop, and we kind of started to pursue it more realistically," Van Daalen said.

The couple eventually partnered with Brady Heerema, who was working at another coffee shop in St. Paul, Minnesota. Van Daalen said the business started with just three owners and two employees, with the owners working from open until close each day.

Today, Tapestry has two locations in Lakeville and a national award to its name.

Van Daalen said the business didn't apply for the competition. Instead, it received an unexpected email informing the owners they had been nominated by a panel of editors and experts. Initially, they thought the message was spam.

The competition eventually opened to public voting, with customers and supporters helping Tapestry secure the top spot.

Van Daalen said the award recognizes more than the quality of the coffee.

"And the way I read it was, it wasn't necessarily just the best cup of coffee in the country, but it was the experience, the best staff, kind of the overall package," he said.

That experience is what has kept longtime customer Abby Schommer coming back for years.

Schommer began visiting Tapestry while attending high school, when she lived just a short walk from the downtown location. She would stop in to work on homework and spend time with friends. Although she has since moved farther away, she continues to visit while working on college assignments.

"It's just so comfortable. Like there's something about it. It just feels cozy and almost, like, as cliché as it is, like a home away from home," Schommer said.

When Tapestry was nominated, Schommer helped spread the word on social media and voted daily alongside her mother.

After learning the coffee shop had won, she decided to celebrate in her own way.

Schommer, who has been learning floral design and sharing her arrangements through an art account, created two bouquets for the shop.

"I made two arrangements, and I messaged them on Instagram asking if I could just bring them in," she said.

For Schommer, it was an opportunity to practice her creative interests while thanking a business that has become part of her community.

Tapestry's recognition also adds to a growing collection of national honors earned by Minnesota food businesses. In Minneapolis, Hen House Eatery won a national competition for its GOAT chicken sandwich in 2024. Isles Bun & Coffee received recognition for its cinnamon rolls, while Cup and Cone in White Bear Lake earned national attention for its ice cream.

Although the businesses competed in different contests, their recognition highlights the support local establishments can receive from their communities.

Van Daalen said other independent coffee shops in the area congratulated Tapestry and even helped share the voting link, despite being competitors. He also credits the employees who have helped build relationships with customers over the years.

"Our staff, our baristas, are the ones that are carrying on the tradition of customer service. They're the ones who remember our customers' names, remember their orders, do all those little things that made the nomination, made the award possible," Van Daalen said.

The owners have made a point of reminding employees that the recognition belongs to them as much as anyone else.

For Van Daalen, the award has also introduced Tapestry to people throughout Lakeville and surrounding communities who may not have known the business existed.

The coffee shop expects to receive a plaque commemorating its national recognition.

And while the award may bring new customers through the doors, Van Daalen says the focus remains on providing the same experience that earned Tapestry its loyal following in the first place.