Hi! I'm Libby, owner of The Dream Bean Machine.

Shortly after my 22nd birthday I took a leap toward realizing two of my biggest dreams: owning a Volkswagen bus and starting a coffee shop. With a small business loan in hand, I purchased a beautiful 1966 red and cream VW bus from eBay and named her Stellaluna after the fruit bat from my favorite children's book. Together with family and friends, we transformed Stella into the fiercest coffee machine Michigan has ever seen — aka "The Dream Bean Machine".

Since day one, we have been dedicated to serving nothing but high-quality products, specializing in organic, fair trade espresso and coffee; smoothies, tea lattes, and baked goods — now including a variety of vegan and gluten-free options. 

After five adventurous years on the road serving our fans at music festivals, weddings, farmers markets, and the like, we decided to park up at a more permanent home base nestled in Grand Marais, Michigan, a tiny but beautiful town located on the east end of Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. We love our new space and want to thank the community of Grand Marais for being incredibly supportive and welcoming from the very beginning.

Now on our fourth summer season across from Woodland Park Campground along Lake Superior's shore, we have expanded our operation to include an indoor cafe with seating and reliable Wifi — perfect for working remotely, planning, or posting about your UP adventures! You'll also find a fun array of Stella merch as well as other hand-picked products we fell in love with from other like-minded small businesses: from camp gear to jewelry and the best dang sunglasses you'll ever find! 

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to wander our site. We look forward to meeting you in person on your next venture north.

Libby, Stella, and The Dream Bean Team