What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
Most 16-year-olds juggle homework, sports, and maybe a part-time job scooping ice cream. Ryder Ackley of Crandon is balancing all that while running his own business — Ravens Mobile Café, a pop-up coffee and drink venture that’s become a fixture at Forest County farmers markets and community events.
What started as childhood observations of his sister’s bake sale hustle has grown into a full-fledged mobile café operation. And Ackley’s not stopping there: he’s prepping a food truck for summer 2025.
The story reflects something deeper about the Northwoods — a tradition of young people stepping up, creating something from scratch, and getting backed by their neighbors every step of the way.
Ackley’s entrepreneurial itch started early, watching his older sister Madison raise funds for school trips through bake sales. “People can make pretty good money doing this,” he realized, even as a kid.
Family gatherings added fuel to the fire. Crafting specialty drinks with relatives during get-togethers showed him how accessible the café business could be — no culinary degree required, just creativity and consistency.
He launched Ravens Mobile Café last summer, setting up at pop-ups, farmers markets, and special events around Crandon. The name itself carries local resonance, echoing the Red Ravens Color Guard, a youth group formed back in 1970 that marched in regional parades and raised their own funds through community activities.
“I have been pretty successful right here and it’s only because of the community that I’m in. They have been nothing but supportive and I really appreciate it.” — Ryder Ackley
Running a café while finishing high school means managing inventory, licensing requirements, and health codes — all while keeping up with calculus homework.
Ackley admits the learning curve has been steep. Inventory management alone requires tracking supplies, predicting demand based on weather and event schedules, and avoiding waste in a region where the nearest wholesale supplier might be an hour away.
Then there’s the paperwork: food service licenses, health inspections, liability insurance, sales tax permits. Not exactly typical sophomore-year concerns.
But the challenges have paid off. Ravens Mobile Café now operates regular hours at Schaefer’s IGA in Crandon — weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends noon to 5 p.m. — giving locals a reliable spot for quality drinks without the drive to Rhinelander or Eagle River.
Ackley purchased a food truck this fall and is outfitting it for the busy summer season. His plan? Operate both the IGA location and the mobile truck simultaneously, maximizing reach across Forest County’s festival circuit.
The timing makes sense. Crandon’s event calendar fills up fast once the snow melts:
A mobile food truck can follow the crowds, setting up wherever people gather — from high school sporting events to town parades to trailhead parking lots on ATV weekends.
It’s the kind of flexible, community-focused approach that works up north, where populations spike on weekends and summers but shrink during the school year.
Crandon has a population hovering around 1,800, which means everyone knows everyone — and word of mouth travels faster than any Instagram ad campaign.
That tight-knit dynamic creates both pressure and opportunity. A bad product or poor service becomes common knowledge by Tuesday coffee hour at the diner. But deliver quality and show up consistently? The community rallies behind you.
Ackley’s success follows a pattern seen throughout Northwoods history. From the Red Ravens fundraising through parades to the Crandon Homemakers Club launching Kentuck Days, grassroots ventures have always found support when they serve the community genuinely.
Modern youth entrepreneurship also fills gaps in rural economies. With limited part-time job options beyond gas stations and resorts, creating your own business becomes a viable path — one that teaches skills no classroom ever could.
Ackley offers straightforward advice for other teens considering business ventures: “If you truly have an idea, a vision or anything that you can think of that you dedicate your mind to, and really focus on what you love doing, you can definitely do it with hard work and ambition.”
That mindset resonates beyond coffee sales. It speaks to a broader Northwoods ethic — self-reliance tempered by community interdependence, ambition balanced with humility, innovation rooted in tradition.
Key takeaways for aspiring young business owners:
Ravens Mobile Café proves you don’t need venture capital or a business degree to launch something meaningful. Sometimes you just need a vision, a supportive community, and the willingness to figure things out as you go.
Ackley’s venture represents more than one teenager’s ambition. It signals that young people see a future in the Northwoods — not just as a place to leave for college and career, but as a place to build something lasting.
Rural communities across Wisconsin struggle with youth outmigration. Kids grow up, head to Madison or Milwaukee for opportunities, and rarely return. Homegrown businesses create reasons to stay, or at least return after college with skills and connections.
Ravens Mobile Café also adds to Crandon’s appeal for visitors. Tourists exploring Forest County’s lakes, trails, and forests increasingly seek authentic local experiences — craft beverages made by someone who actually lives here, not a corporate chain.
As summer approaches and that food truck hits the road, keep an eye out for Ravens Mobile Café at your next community gathering. Supporting young entrepreneurs like Ryder Ackley isn’t just good business — it’s investing in the next generation of Northwoods leaders.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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