That’s part of the reason why Ana and Christian Rottner hope to turn Ray Brook into a place to pause and enjoy a cup of coffee. The Coffee Pot, a proposed “camper cafe,” is a dream project that is now undergoing approval from the town of North Elba.

The Rottners have lived in Saranac Lake for several years, having moved to the area from Connecticut. Christian’s dad is from Bloomingdale.

The idea for the coffee place has been marinating ever since Ana moved here, she said. Christian, a local contractor and musician, is going to refurbish an old camper to serve as the business’s main structure. They are also renovating the other houses on the property, which will become vacation rentals as well as a small studio/retail space.

The name for the small complex, just off state Route 86 and after the High Peaks Ford dealership when heading toward Lake Placid, will be “Carrie Place,” Rottner said. It combines a family name and the term “place,” which refers to a multi-use space.

The Rottners want to be a part of what they see as a revitalization of Ray Brook. There’s a new wedding venue a bit farther down the road, a relatively new brewery and dozens of people passing by each day on the Adirondack Rail Trail.

“(Ray Brook) is starting to have a bit of a pulse,” Christian said.

Part of the strategy behind the location is to provide a place for commuters to grab a coffee for the road (or for the trail). However, the property doesn’t lend itself to a drive-through, and the Rottners hope people will linger.

“A lot of places encourage people to kind of kind of zoom through,” Christian said. “This would be kind of like, ‘come chill.’ It’s not supposed to be like a hustle and bustle spot.”

The building nearby is in the process of being transformed into a studio for Christian’s mom, Leslie Rottner, who is a local mixed-media artist. She mainly shares and teaches art online, but is looking for a small physical space to teach classes or display her art. They hope the coffee shop will encourage people to take a look inside the studio, as well.

The whole multi-purpose property is a family affair, down to the camper that the business will revolve around. Christian said his dad bought it as a gift for his mom years ago, intending to fix it up, but it ended up just sitting in the backyard.

The menu will include European-style coffee, along with a small selection of food items. This hasn’t been formalized yet, but the goal is to keep it simple and high-quality.

“I prefer to have two things and be good,” Ana said.

Their project is currently up before the Lake Placid-North Elba joint Planning Review Board. Once it is approved, they will have to start the process of obtaining other permits, including from the health department. Christian said they hope to finish renovating the camper before the winter, and hope to open sometime next summer.