OUR STORY
THE WHY
Magazine and coffee house owner Katie Hunhoff’s passion for coffee culture started during an academic year abroad in Bologna, Italy. Her passion for creating a sense of community and place came from her parents Bernie and Myrna, the founders of South Dakota Magazine.
Mix the two together and you have Muddy Mo’s Coffee House, a charming space that serves great coffee in a welcoming environment.
“We loved the idea of having a place for our (South Dakota Magazine) readers to gather, share story ideas, meet our magazine staff, and also have special events such as book signings and poetry readings,” Katie says.
THE SPACE
Muddy Mo’s Coffee House is located at 233 Broadway Avenue in a beautifully restored historic building on the west side of Yankton's downtown Meridian District. The 1885 two-story building that once belonged to pioneer Walter Burleigh
is now home to Katie and her son Steven (plus their dog Walter,
two cats and three hens.)
The chickens roost out back, and the South Dakota Magazine office is just a hop, skip, and a jump down 3rd Street.
Depending on the time of day, parking can fill up a bit. We encourage guests to park on 3rd Street and the public parking lot just south of the coffee shop’s front door.
THE RIVER IS OUR NAMESAKE
The mighty Missouri — North America’s longest river at 2,341 miles — flows just one block south of our coffee shop and it inspired our name. Before the six dams were built, the river was so wild that its waters were constantly churning with sediment so pioneers dubbed it the Big Muddy, or Muddy Mo. Pioneers joked that they had to sip whiskey because the river water was too thick for drinking.
Today, the Missouri’s water quality has improved greatly. We actually brew with
it (coffee, not whiskey!) though we filter
it a few times to give you the best
beverages in town.
The river valley around Yankton is one of the last wild and free flowing stretches of the Missouri, which is why it’s called the Missouri National Recreational River. You can walk across it on the double-deck Meridian Bridge, just a few blocks east of our coffee shop on Walnut Street. Better yet, get on the water with a canoe, kayak or boat (some folks also just float down it on big inflatables). But remember, it is a wild river so always wear a life jacket!
THE LOGO
Muddy Mo’s Coffee House is an outgrowth of South Dakota Magazine,
a bi-monthly journal that has
been exploring our state for
nearly 4 decades.
Commodore Sanford B. Coulson, an ancestor of Editor & Publisher Katie Hunhoff’s son Steven, is featured on our logo. Coulson was an adventurous 19th century riverboat captain and Yankton pioneer.
The Muddy Mo building was built by Walter Burleigh, another steamboat pioneer and politician.
Some say they feel the presence of the fun-loving captains when they sit in the historic coffee house!
