She had, after all, come to the Upper Peninsula from Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, which was really beginning to boom in the 1990s. And she loves good coffee and food.

But more, she wanted to recreate that cozy coffee shop vibe. “I just thought our community, we didn’t have a place to gather,” Caudell said.

So she and then-business partner Matty McCormick, a former tennis pro and her “best friend,” began researching what went into operating a coffee shop, visiting other cities to see what they had, attending trade shows and seminars.

But they kept firmly in mind this was the U.P., not Chicago or Seattle. “We didn’t want it to be too girlie,” Caudell said.

THE MOOSE JACKSON Cafe was named after the two dogs the original co-owners had when the coffee shop opened — Eden Caudell’s yellow Lab, Moose, and Matty McCormick’s black Lab, Jackson. These figures by the door remain in their memory. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

Her husband and others built the log cabin-style shop at 221 E. A St. in downtown Iron Mountain that opened for business in April 1998. The partners named the shop after their dogs — Caudell’s yellow Lab, Moose, and McCormick’s black Lab, Jackson — because both at the time were serious runners and “the dogs were always with us,” Caudell explained. It’s why the shop has a Lab silhouette as logo, with the motto: “Come. Sit. Stay.”

Almost 22 years later, the Moose Jackson Cafe remains in that same log building, serving up coffee and other beverages, baked goods such as scones and brownies, quiche, soups, sandwiches, wraps, paninis and salads.

Some bear unique names such as the Heidi grilled wrap — a combination of sliced turkey breast, broccoli, sunflower seeds, provolone cheese, tomatoes, fresh baby spinach and stone-ground mayo —

after the cook who created it and the Irish Pub salad, based on one Caudell tried in just such an establishment.

She and her husband travel frequently and make sure to check out local cuisines of all types no matter where, seeing what might be worth introducing in Iron Mountain.

The exterior of the Moose Jackson Cafe in downtown Iron Mountain. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

“I’m kind of a foodie,” Caudell said.

The cafe also does catering for private parties and other occasions, along with boxed lunches that can be ordered for meetings.

Born in San Francisco and raised in downstate Michigan, Caudell had links to the Upper Peninsula through her dad and brother who lived in Marquette. That was how she met her husband, Todd, who went to high school with her brother.

They were in different cities on different jobs for awhile before moving to Iron Mountain so he could join his father at Superior Land Fastening Systems in Kingsford.

They have three sons, Zachary, Riley and Owen, the eldest already a college graduate, the other two at Central Michigan University and University of Michigan, respectively.

McCormick stepped away from Moose Jackson in 2005 but they are “still best of friends,” Caudell said.

While the cafe has retained some favorites over the two decades, Caudell said she also realizes the menu and offerings must adapt for changing tastes and trends, such as the rising demand for gluten- or dairy-free.

But they have stuck with fresh, high-quality ingredients and making as much as they can in house, such as all the soups and salad dressings.

“We’ve really stayed true to ourselves,” Caudell said.

Another key ingredient has been a reliable coffee roaster, she said. They sampled several different ones before settling on Friedrichs in Des Moines, Iowa, which will have coffee to them within a day of roasting the beans.

“I think it’s the best coffee,” Caudell said, adding, “his expresso is fabulous.”

The business has 15 employees, some working there for a decade, Caudell said.

While it no longer is the only coffee shop in Iron Mountain, or even in the downtown, Caudell said each has its own niche and should be able to co-exist.

Having competition just makes her appreciate all the more when someone steps through their doors, she said.

“I tell my baristas, they (the customers) chose us out of all the places they could have gone,” Caudell said.

If her customers keep coming, she’s ready to keep serving them another two decades.

“It’s been fun to watch over the years just how the community and cafe have grown,” she said. “It’s just been a fabulous gift for me.”