Steve Manning, owner of the mobile coffee business Volkskaffee, says he plans to go where no coffee has ever gone before. This includes street fairs, street corners and wherever else he decides to park his 1990 Vanagon Multivan and start slinging his special blend of joe.

The savvy "autobarista" conjured the idea from inside the former Cream City Coffee Shop in Cedarburg.

"The idea started with a design for a coffee label and my love for VW's, especially busses," says Manning, who started out giving away his coffee, called "Volksblend," as Christmas gifts.

"With my coffee shop background and extensive knowledge of carpentry, electrical and autos, it pushed me into fulfilling a dream which is now a reality."

Volkskaffee debuted June 5 at a celebration at Milwaukee's Concours Motors. In the future, Manning says he plans to park downtown in strategic locations for early morning commuters and festival-goers, but would also like to specialize in catering and special events.

"I can't just drive around like an ice cream man due to the fact I need to set up in a stationary position," says the 37-year-old Shorewood native.

Anodyne coffee is the exclusive roaster of "Volksblend." Beside the normal coffee bar fare, Manning will also offer blended ice coffee drinks, fruit smoothies and a few on-the-go snacks like Powerbars and biscotti.

"The response so far has been great," he says. "(Even though) some people didn't think I could pull it off."

Volkskaffee's phone number is (414) 418-2664.