The Muddy Mo’s Way: Connecting the Yankton Community through Coffee

Less than a mile from the Mount Marty University campus is our favorite small-town coffee shop, Muddy Mo’s. Muddy Mo’s sits close to the Missouri River—the same river it gets its name from—in a building that is roughly 140 years old. You would not know that from the inside, though. Their modernly updated cafe area, even including decor from Yankton’s beloved Jo Dean’s restaurant, and comfortable feel creates an atmosphere that is unlike anything else in Yankton. The smell of fresh coffee draws in students looking for a place to study with their friends, young adults on a first date, parents and their kids celebrating a good grade in school, as well as older generations just meeting up for an afternoon chat. In a town where so many businesses come and go, what makes Muddy Mo’s different?

There are quite a few ways that Muddy Mo’s continues to bring back customers, as well as draw in new ones, and it is not only for their amazing coffee. Katie Hunhoff, owner of Muddy Mo’s and South Dakota Magazine, gave insight into what made Muddy Mo’s what it is today. What originally was only going to be coffee and pastries has expanded to include breakfast and lunch items—Hunhoff says the creative aspect of coming up with new ideas has been a fun part of that expansion.  Local bread and bagels fill their menu for a wide variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and snacks that are served throughout the whole day. Just walking through the heavy 100-year-old door feels like a moment in history, before you're embraced by the aroma of dark espressos and the smiling faces of the baristas ready to offer suggestions on their personal favorites.

As you approach the counter to order, you’re greeted by a chalkboard with the monthly specialty drinks—usually with a clever name and seasonal drawing. A punchcard will get you a free drink for every nine that you buy and that incentive keeps people coming back (especially on Tuesdays for double punch day!).  For the Mount Marty community, Muddy Mo’s offers a discount if you show a student ID and just this fall, made us a special “Lancer Latte” for Lancer Days 2024. 

The small-town benefit that Yankton offers has helped build a community of people who are able to support locally while also getting their caffeine fix. Hunhoff says, “We have hosted poetry readings, bingo nights, cooking classes, piano recitals, musical events, and most recently a short play and all of those events are so special.” She also details the local businesses that Muddy Mo’s highlights, which include Burbach’s milk in Hartington, Breadico and Songbird Kombucha in Sioux Falls, and Brandt’s honey here in Yankton. 

For Hunhoff, the most important thing that Muddy Mo’s brings to the community is a safe and welcoming place to meet and make memories. In the short time that they have been open, they’ve solidified a place in Yankton’s history as that very location. Whether it’s Yankton residents, Mount Marty students, or even road-trippers from out of state, there is somewhere comforting to land where you’re welcomed like family. Hunhoff has had the same goals for South Dakota Magazine—creating community and telling stories—which has been successful for forty years. She says about the newer endeavor, “Muddy Mo’s has only been open for three years but we are already creating our own stories and our own community, with our staff, students at Mount Marty, our readers of the magazine, and our Yankton supporters.”