Unearth The Voyage
This downtown Big Rapids coffee shop is easy to miss if you do not know where to look. Hidden behind a frozen yogurt counter, the café has quietly built a loyal following with Michigan-roasted espresso, rotating monthly drink specials, and a cozy back-room setup that feels more like a neighborhood hideaway than a typical coffee stop.
What makes the place stand out is the sense of discovery that comes with finding it. First-time visitors often hear about it through word of mouth, then return for the fireplace seating, carefully made drinks, and relaxed atmosphere that encourages people to stay awhile.
What looks modest from the outside turns out to be one of the city’s most memorable coffee spots.
A Hidden Door in Plain Sight: Finding the Address and the Place
Some of the best discoveries happen when you almost walk right past them. The Backroom @ Toppings sits at 321 N Michigan Ave, Big Rapids, MI 49307, tucked inside Toppings Frozen Yogurt in the heart of downtown Big Rapids, Michigan.
From the outside, you see a cheerful frozen yogurt sign, nothing more. The coffee shop itself is not visible until you actually step through the front door and make your way toward the back of the building.
That walk through the bright, colorful fro-yo section feels almost theatrical, like a short hallway leading to a completely different world. The owners, Shawna and Bryan Conley, opened The Backroom in October 2020 with a very specific vision in mind.
They wanted the back space to feel like a contrast to the energetic front shop, giving it a lower-lit, relaxed, and cozy personality that practically whispers, “Stay a while.” And honestly, you will want to.
The Story Behind the Shop: How a Frozen Yogurt Spot Grew a Coffee Soul
Toppings Frozen Yogurt opened its doors in 2015, and for several years it served the Big Rapids community as a fun, bright dessert destination. But Shawna and Bryan Conley had bigger ideas brewing, and in October 2020, they turned the back section of their shop into a full-service coffee bar.
The timing was bold, to say the least. Opening a new concept in 2020 required a lot of confidence in the community and in the product itself.
What drove the decision was a clear gap in downtown Big Rapids, specifically the lack of a higher-end, locally focused coffee experience that residents and Ferris State University students could call their own.
The Conleys wanted something that felt personal and intentional, not like a chain copy. That founding purpose still shows up in every detail of the space today, from the handmade drinks to the carefully sourced beans.
The story behind the shop makes the coffee taste just a little bit better.
What the Fireplace and Couches Are Actually Telling You
The moment you pass through the frosted boundary between the frozen yogurt front and the coffee back, the whole mood shifts. The lighting drops a notch, the energy mellows out, and suddenly there is a fireplace crackling nearby and a big, inviting couch just waiting for someone to sink into it.
This is not accidental design. The Conleys deliberately built the atmosphere to feel like the opposite of the bright and lively front shop.
The result is a space that feels genuinely intimate, the kind of place where an hour can slip by without you noticing.
There are also tables for those who prefer a more upright working setup, and the background music keeps things chill without being distracting. The fireplace is a particular standout during cooler Michigan months, turning a regular coffee run into something that feels more like a proper retreat.
That couch, by the way, is reportedly enormous and absolutely worth claiming early.
Michigan-Roasted Beans and an Espresso Bar That Means Business
Not every small-town coffee shop takes its beans seriously, but this one absolutely does. The Backroom uses Michigan-roasted coffee beans across its entire espresso menu, which is a deliberate choice that keeps the supply chain local and the flavor profile distinctive.
The espresso bar is fully equipped, turning out lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, and straight espresso shots with real consistency. Those tiny espresso shot cups that reviewers keep mentioning are genuinely rare to find outside of specialty coffee culture, and their presence here says something about the standards in the kitchen.
Cold brew is available year-round, which is a detail that cold brew fans will appreciate more than they expect during a Michigan winter. The quality of the coffee is something that comes through clearly, not masked by excessive sweetness, but well-balanced and properly made.
For a town that once lacked a serious coffee option, this espresso bar quietly changed the entire conversation. The next section reveals what the menu does beyond coffee.
Bagels, Avocado Toast, and a Waffle That People Cannot Stop Talking About
A great coffee shop earns its reputation through drinks, but it keeps people coming back with food. The Backroom offers a focused breakfast and snack menu that includes bagels, muffins, avocado toast, Nutella toast, and breakfast sandwiches.
The avocado toast has drawn enough praise that the owners themselves recommend it to first-time visitors. The breakfast sandwiches, including a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant option, have shown up repeatedly in glowing reviews as a reliable, satisfying pairing with a morning latte.
Then there are the waffles. The fruity pebble waffle, in particular, has developed something of a cult following among regulars.
It is colorful, crunchy at the edges, and exactly the kind of thing you did not know you needed until it arrived at your table. Vegetarian options are available throughout the menu, and the food is described as handmade and thoughtfully prepared.
You will likely finish everything before you think to take a photo.
Lotus Drinks, Monthly Specials, and the Menu That Keeps Evolving
Beyond the espresso classics, The Backroom has built a loyal following around its lotus drinks, which are fizzy, fruity, caffeinated beverages that have become a signature item for non-coffee drinkers. They are the kind of drink that makes people who normally skip coffee shops feel genuinely catered to.
The monthly specials are another reason regulars keep showing up. The menu rotates with creative seasonal drinks, and past offerings have included a cold brew pumpkin spice that earned serious praise.
The owners tease upcoming menus on social media, which turns each new month into a small event worth anticipating.
Chai lattes, including dirty chai variations, have also developed a strong fan base among the regulars. The shop keeps oat milk and almond milk available as alternatives, making the menu accessible for a wide range of dietary preferences.
Every visit has the potential to introduce something new, which is a rare quality for a shop this size. The variety here is genuinely impressive.
Why Students and Remote Workers Keep Coming Back on Weekdays
Big Rapids is home to Ferris State University, and The Backroom has naturally become a go-to spot for students who need a change of scenery from the campus library. The combination of reliable Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and genuinely good coffee makes it a practical choice for study sessions and remote work alike.
The atmosphere is calm enough to focus but social enough to feel energizing. Tables are available for those who want a proper workspace, and the staff are known for bringing drinks directly to seated customers during quieter hours, which is a small hospitality touch that makes a real difference.
Meetings happen here too, with regulars bringing in colleagues and clients who had never heard of the place before. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM, which covers most of the standard workday with room to spare.
For anyone building a weekly routine around a good cup of coffee, this place fits in naturally.
Flaky, Golden, and Worth Every Bite: The Croissants and Pastries You Should Not Skip
There is something almost unfair about a croissant that good sitting quietly next to a coffee menu. The Backroom brings in buttery, flaky pastries that shatter at the first pull — the kind that leave crumbs on your sweater and zero regrets.
Paired with a well-pulled espresso, they hit completely differently than a gas station breakfast ever could.
Croissants here are not an afterthought. They show up fresh, golden on the outside and pillowy soft at the center, offering a straightforward but deeply satisfying option for anyone who skipped breakfast before heading downtown.
Some mornings, simple really is best.
Muffins, Toast, and the Morning Bites That Make Staying Longer Feel Totally Justified
Nobody plans to spend two hours at a coffee shop — and then the muffins arrive. The Backroom serves up baked goods like muffins and toasted options that complement their drink menu without trying too hard.
Grab a muffin alongside your latte and suddenly the morning stretches out in the best possible way.
Toast here goes beyond the plain stuff. Think hearty slices with real toppings — the kind of bite that fuels you through a morning of studying or a long work-from-home call.
For a spot tucked behind a frozen yogurt shop, the food options genuinely surprise people every single time.
Pricing, Hours, and the Practical Details Worth Knowing Before You Go
Getting the logistics right before a visit saves a lot of frustration, and The Backroom has a schedule worth knowing. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Monday is the one day off each week, so plan accordingly.
Drink prices average around six dollars and fifty cents, which lands in a very reasonable range for specialty coffee with quality ingredients and attentive service. The food items are described as fairly priced as well, making it easy to build a full breakfast without feeling like you overspent.
The phone number is 231-598-9438 if you want to call ahead, and the website is toppingsfrozenyogurt.com for more details. The shop does get busy during peak hours, so arriving a little early on weekends is a smart move.
Parking on N Michigan Ave is generally accessible, making the visit easy from a logistics standpoint.
Why This Quiet Corner of Big Rapids Deserves a Lot More Attention
A 4.9-star rating across nearly a hundred reviews is not something that happens by accident, and The Backroom has earned every fraction of that score. The combination of locally sourced coffee, creative drinks, solid food, and a genuinely welcoming space adds up to something that is hard to replicate.
What makes this place particularly special is how much it punches above its size. It is a small back room inside a frozen yogurt shop, and yet it delivers an experience that rivals dedicated coffee houses in much larger cities.
The Conleys built something with a clear purpose and stuck to it consistently over the years since opening in October 2020.
For residents of Big Rapids, it is the kind of neighborhood anchor that makes a town feel more livable. For visitors passing through on a college tour or a road trip, it is the unexpected stop that ends up being the highlight of the day.
Some secrets are worth sharing, and this one absolutely is.
