Visit Cook County's 2025 Heart of Hospitality Coffee Break Celebrates Workers with Free Coffee

Visit Cook County Celebrates “Heart of Hospitality” with Free Coffee for Hospitality Workers and Awards

Hospitality Workers Get a Free Cup of Coffee September 7-12, 2025

Grand Marais, MN – August 14, 2025 - Visit Cook County is once again celebrating the area’s “Heart of Hospitality” by offering a free cup of coffee for hospitality and tourism industry workers Sept. 7-12, 2025.

"The dedication and passion of our hospitality workers are the foundation of Cook County,” said Linda Jurek, Executive Director of Visit Cook County & The Cook County Chamber of Commerce. “This coffee break is a small gesture to show our appreciation for their hard work and for the exceptional service they provide our locals and visitors all year.”

Who is eligible? Front and back of house staff that work in hospitality-based industries like dining, retail, lodging and activities. A short list includes servers, bartenders, housekeepers, receptionists, cooks, clerks, guides and so much more.

Where? From Sept. 7-12, these coffee shops are prepared to offer complimentary coffee and beverages to hospitality workers. One coffee/drink per location.

Coho Cafe in Tofte (hours: 7am - 8pm daily)
Java Moose in Grand Marais (hours: Tues-Sat 7am- 3pm, Sun 7am - 1pm, Closed Monday)
Loon’s Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail (hours: 7am-2pm daily)

This event is part of a larger program initiated by Visit Cook County titled the “Heart of Hospitality” to celebrate the workers in the hospitality industry. Launched in 2019, local business owners and managers are asked to nominate employees who exemplify hospitality excellence. An award is given to an employee from each tourism district. Nominations for this year’s “Heart of Hospitality” awards are open. The deadline for 2025 nominations is October 1, 2025. To learn more about the award or to nominate an individual, please click here. Winners are announced at the Annual Fall Gala which will be held at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino on October 30, 2025.

The Cook County Chamber of Commerce Business Awards are also open for the categories of Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Business Leader of the Year and the Norman Deschampe Award. The deadline to nominate someone for a Business Award is October 1, 2025. Learn more about the Chamber Business Awards and vote here.

Visit Cook County, Minnesota
Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior.” Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades — most recently, it was named America's Best Small Lake Town by Travel & Leisure Magazine, USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, and Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016. Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #donorthmn, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at VisitCookCounty.com.

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