Years ago, there was a popular shop in Watertown called Past Times Coffee House. After its doors had been closed for some time, Angie Reppe decided it was time for a new spot to open up downtown.
Late 2017 brought Gather to the community. The coffee shop is a spacious place for locals and visitors alike to spend time, sip a drink, study, and have conversations.
“We have a bunch of chains, but not a really good spot to hang out. My husband and I own the whole building that Gather is a part of,” explained Reppe. “We had a vacancy, and I’ve wanted to have my own place since as far as I can remember. I decided I wanted a coffee shop.”
Fact
Gather was recognized by the Watertown Convention & Visitors Bureau and given the Gordon “Gordy” Osthus Outstanding Customer Service Award in 2022.
Through the doors, guests are greeted by fun, eclectic décor, the aroma of freshly baked goods, and plenty of seating areas to choose from. Some close to the front are by windows, allowing ample natural sunlight to set the tone, while others are located back in the dimmer and cozy areas.
“That was the one thing that I was adamant about—I wanted people to have lots of space and be able to have their own conversations,” she said.
“I made up a new muffin called The Almond Joy, made with almond syrup, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut on top that toasts up nice and delicious. I finish it with a chocolate drizzle.” -Angie Reppe
For the caffeine lovers, grab an Americano, latte, macchiato, mocha, or cappuccino, and choose up to three syrup flavors to add to each drink.
With about 30 to choose from, there are countless options for each order. Most of the drinks can be served hot, iced, or blended.
“Our Cold Brew is so delicious, honestly,” insisted Reppe. “We have a special right now called a Hopscotch Cold Brew.”
And if coffee isn’t the customer’s flavor, there are plenty of other choices.
Reppe says smoothies are a must. Try Mango, Strawberry Banana, Wild Berry, and more.
Walk in on a summer Tuesday for a Sun Tea with new flavors every week like Blackberry Raspberry Hibiscus, Strawberry Lemon Orange Blossom, and Blueberry Citrus Basil.
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AUGUST DRINK SPECIALS
+ Snickerdoodle Mocha
+ Spiced Caramel Cold Brew
+ Sweet Maple Latte
+ Turtle Glacier
SPECIALTY
+ Babyccino
+ Cider
+ Fruit Smoothies
+ London Fog
+ Matcha Tea
MUFFINS
+ Caramel Coffee Cake
+ Lemon Coconut
+ Lemon Poppins
+ Strawberry Cream Cheese
+ Triple Berry
COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES
+ Apple Overload
+ Bomb Pop
+ Cherry Pie
+ Gluten Sensitive Options
+ Key Lime Pie
+ S’mores
+ Strawberry Lemonade
+ Vanilla Sugar
MORE BAKED GOODS
+ Apple Pie Cookie Bars
+ Blueberry Scones
+ Carrot Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
+ Fresh Biscotti
+ Seven-Layer Bars
For Gather, having the perfect Chai Tea was invaluable.
“Our Chais are kind of famous, honestly. That was one of the things I called the owners of Past Times for because I had to know what chai they used,” said Reppe. “They’re different from a chain chai. We like to play with those for our specials.”
Every day Reppe gets up early and dedicates the morning to baking fresh goods for the pastry case.
Choose from a selection of muffins with varying flavors like Pumpkin Cream Cheese, Lemon Coconut, Lemon Blueberry, or Berry Blue.
“I make the favorites every day, which for muffins is the Elvis,” she said. “It’s a banana-based muffin with oats sprinkled on top with three dollops of peanut butter and honey.”
With a brownie-like texture, Death by Chocolate Chip Cookies are also a guest favorite.
Reppe has a tendency to lean more towards salty snacks, so she had to add one to the pastry case. The Gather signature cookie is Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip, and Reppe says they’ve been a hit.
Gather partners with Cookie Dough Cupcakes out of Huron for weekly deliveries of their specialty desserts. Some cupcake flavors include Monster, Raspberry, Chocolate Lovers, and more.
“I love to support local art. One of my biggest artists that everybody loves is Four Cozy Design. She has four children and can knit just about anything. She has hats, baby booties, swaddling blankets, bags, and more.” -Angie Reppe
One of Gather’s in-state partnerships is with Black Hills Bagels. At any point, choose between a sweet, savory, or neutral-flavored bagel to pair with any of their cream cheese blends.
“I was going to ask one of my suppliers for some bars, and randomly Off the Farm called me and said they were looking to be in South Dakota,” said Reppe.
Based in California, Off the Farm stocks various flavors of energy and protein bars to Gather and other businesses.
While patrons wait for their drink, they can browse the collection of gifts made by local artists and businesses. Items include jewelry, clothing, honey, art, and more.
To host a small gathering, a space is available at the back of the shop.
“The Blue Room is a rental that seats 36 as it’s set up, but we’ve done bigger parties than that. We’ve done birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, gender reveals, meetings,” said Reppe.
In that room, Reppe offers the wall space to local artists for a temporary fine art installation.
