Opening of Aztec Parlor on Main Street in Waukon fulfills a dream for the owner and a need for the community
Aztec Parlor receives First Dollar visit ... Aztec Parlor, a newly opened coffee parlor located at 15 West Main Street in Waukon, recently received a First Dollar Visit from the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. Pictured above, left to right, at that First Dollar presentation in front of the newly-opened business are Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors members Gail Prestemon and Sarah Bieber, Aztec Parlor owners Jessica and Paul Wagner, and Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors members Kristen Wilke and Brittany Horns.
Jessica Wagner has always wanted to own her own business. Her September 7 opening of Aztec Parlor at 15 West Main Street in downtown Waukon has helped her fulfill that desire, while also meeting a need she saw for the community in which she lives. Wagner’s desire to be a business owner has been ingrained in her since growing up in La Crosse, WI. She credits her family for her entrepreneurial spirit.
“From a young age, I have always wanted to be a business owner,” she shared. “My family owns a business that they started in 1929 and is still open today. I started working for them at a very young age and learned so many important skills over the years.” Aztec Parlor is described as a walk-in, drive-up coffee parlor serving freshly brewed specialty coffees, teas, smoothies and food. Wagner sees her new business as filling a void in the downtown community, and after eating at the small dining facility previously housed at Aztec Parlor’s Main Street location, her vision of a new business grew even clearer.
“After I moved to the area seven years ago, I knew there was a need for a coffee shop,” she said. “When I came for lunch with a friend at this location, I fell in love with the building.”
Having grown up in La Crosse, WI, Wagner moved to the local area seven years ago and worked for the Allamakee Community School District just prior to opening up Aztec Parlor. She married Paul Wagner in 2019, and they have four children and two dogs.
Although described as a coffee parlor, Aztec Parlor offers a wide variety of beverages. Muffins, along with a salad bar offered Monday through Friday, are also listed on the menu, along with a number of other specialty food items. Aztec Parlor offers both dine-in and carry-out service. Wagner says the business also offers sugar free and dairy free options within its menu variety.
Aside from fulfilling her dream of owning a business, Wagner says the people she has encountered in preparing and opening Aztec Parlor have provided another reward to her new venture. “In the short time we have been open, I have built friendships with customers and shared laughs and smiles with people I don’t even know,” she said.
As one might expect in opening a new business, Wagner admits there are some learning curves. Some of that learning stems from the initial success Aztec Parlor has already begun to experience.
“We have gone through supplies faster than we ever imagined we would,” Wagner explained. “So, it means that we are spending a lot of time adding inventory - not a bad problem to have!”
Aztec Parlor is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. The business has its own website at aztec-parlor.square.site and can also be reached by calling 563-568-8184.
A Grand Opening and ribbon cutting is planned at Aztec Parlor for this Saturday, September 18.
