Close to a year ago, Prickly Pine Cafe took over its downtown Houghton location on Isle Royale Street. Owners Robert and Geni Klimek have worked hard over the past year to rejuvenate the space, adding new seating options, a wooden bar for enjoying coffee, and collaborations with other local businesses and organizations.
Just ahead of a grand reopening on Friday, Broad Brush Studios created a mural that brings the outdoors inside.
“Bringing that outdoors to the inside and making a family environment somewhere where we have our little logo popping out and they represented that absolutely amazingly,” Geni Klimek said. “I’m blown away by it.”
Robert Klimek echoed his wife’s enthusiasm about the mural’s impact on the cafe’s atmosphere.
“It really fits with our business model of trying to bring nature into this space and trying to create a cozy rest stop for our customers, you know, in between adventures,” Robert Klimek said. “And not only that, but just the colors open up this space so well.”
Mary Kozmor, one of the mural artists, incorporated personal touches into the design.
“For example, our past mural we did at the Orpheum this summer, we had the cafe owners hidden in the mural as well,” Kozmor said. “And I kind of wanted to bring that to this mural and have Rob, Geni, and Charlie in there. As well as some porcupines, and I had some little tulips. So yeah, come take a closer look at the little details.”
“We have a Sasquatch in this mural too and I challenge people to find it,” Gordillo said.
Prickly Pine Cafe enjoys seeing regular customers who have visited since opening in 2025 and have witnessed the Klimeks’ progress Including welcoming their son Charlie to the family. Throughout the space the cafe’s walls hold locally designed art. One sheet metal artwork depicts the Upper Peninsula and uses moss, and rocks from locations across the region. The cafe has found a home in downtown Houghton, providing a rest stop for those adventuring further into the Keweenaw Peninsula or a morning pick-up for commuters heading to work.
Prickly Pine Cafe’s menu has added popular smoothies in the past year. Over the weekend the shop also launched a new lunch menu for guests.
Check out Broad Brush Studios’ murals at Prickly Pine Cafe in Houghton, the Orpheum Theater in Hancock and in Calumet’s community.
Learn more about the Prickly Pine Cafe here. learn more about Broad Brush Studios here.
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