When Doug and Alicia Gjertson moved to the Riverview neighborhood in July of 2013, from Rothschild, it quickly became obvious to them that the neighborhood did not have the shopping amenities and local businesses that the other, up and coming, areas had. They got to know their Riverview neighbors, began building relationships with local business owners and staff. In the many evenings sitting and enjoying an Old Fashion and Fish Fry they began to wonder, “what if we could bring this kind of neighborhood place to Riverview where folks could come and meet and enjoy some really good coffee and pastries and start the day off with a smile?” 

Located on the Northeast edge of Wausau, just up north 6^th street in the neighborhood, was a small corner building that had been sitting empty for a very long time, at least 8 years. It had been many things over the years, a hair salon, a pizza shop, insurance office, place to get flowers. What a great spot they thought! An intersection where people from the neighborhood could all get to easily, and others passing through from the North and East could all meet. It couldn’t be more ideal. They purchased the building in February of 2021 and began making plans. 

“The Pickle Jar- Grinds & Finds” sounds nothing like coffee, but the name resonates with Doug & Alicia’s vision. How, may you ask? Doug and Alicia have both enjoyed 30+ years in professional careers working for local & large corporations. While that has been very rewarding, it was time to Carpe Diem and take the next step in their life journey to bring the things that matter most to them to the forefront and hoping to inspire others to do the same along the way. The shop is named for the time/life management theory. If you are unfamiliar with how this concept works, be sure to check it out here!

The last 15 months have been spent building the interior space into a warm inviting fun place to come and visit, as well as shop! The Pickle Jar Grinds and Finds is not just a place to grab an amazing espresso or healthy fruit drink, it’s also a place where you can find home décor and personal items that have been found, repurposed, recycled or redesigned to make a unique gift or item to treasure. This also fits into the vision to preserve, reuse and be unique. In staying aligned with that vision, you’ll find the atmosphere and surroundings are decorated and boast all repurposed or handcrafted things. Like the beautiful oak church pew found in the basement of an estate sale, that sits behind a live edge table that is from a local sawmill, beautifully finished and procured along with the handcrafted pastry case made by a local woodworking artist. 

Doug and Alicia started early to seek out the very best partnerships to bring quality coffee, Tea’s, all natural healthy fruit smoothies, refreshers and delicious items for the pastry case, to The Pickle Jar. They have established relationships based on the partners mission and vision as well as quality. Rusty Dog Coffee , a roaster out of Madison WI, is providing the Pickle Jar with their coffee beans. The attention to detail that Rusty Dog gives to acquire & roast exceptional coffee beans is just one reason they chose this partner. Rusty Dog Coffee shares in Doug & Alicia’s passion for giving back, and community support. They are proud to bring this quality brand to Wausau and the Riverview neighborhood. They have also partnered with The Republic of Tea (link), Lotus Plant Based Energy and the SmartFruit company (link) and look forward to highlighting these products on their menu.

It is exciting to be coming up now on the long and highly anticipated opening of the The Pickle Jar and Doug, Alicia and their staff cannot wait to see you!