Business Spotlight: Poverty Bay Coffee

Photo by matt nagle

THE TEAM AT POVERTY BAY COFFEE’S DRIVE-THROUGH STAND IN EDGEWOOD (LEFT TO RIGHT): BRITTANY HATFIELD, JESSICA WELCH, AMANDA CONNER AND KIRSTEN GRANT (NOT PICTURED EMILY THOMAS).

For nearly five years Poverty Bay Coffee Company’s drive-through espresso stand in Edgewood has been serving up what many call the best coffee they have ever had. The secret is in the beans – shade grown and slowly ripened in the rainforests of Mexico and Peru, then brought to full flavor at Poverty Bay’s micro-roaster in Auburn. Through an air roasting technique in which small batches of beans are kept constantly moving in precisely heated air, Poverty Bay’s beans come out more evenly roasted and with a much cleaner finish.

Poverty Bay coffees are among the most organic available, as the land upon which the coffee is grown has never been chemically treated. The farming families that grow the beans have been doing so for generations, the techniques of working the soil passed down for hundreds of years. The owner-operators of Poverty Bay Coffee Company have a direct relationship with these families – the growers – buying directly from the farmers and paying double what they would receive on the open market. Bypassing the middleman means more money in the pockets of working families who rely on this income.

Kirsten Grant is one of the company’s owner-operators. She can be found in the little Poverty Bay drive-through at 823 Meridian Ave. E. in Edgewood at just about any given time of day, pouring coffee and making fruit smoothies right alongside her team of friendly employees: Amanda Conner, Brittany Hatfield, Jessica Welch and Emily Thomas.

“We have a great staff, great coffee, and we work very hard to make sure that when you’re spending your money here, you’re going to get what you pay for and more,” Grant said. “We are really cutting edge on our prices.” They will even throw in an extra shot for free, and give you a punch card for a free drink.

Grant helped launch Poverty Bay Coffee Company more than 20 years ago. Its award-winning café in Federal Way (1108A S. 322nd Place) has been a favorite hot spot since 1989, offering fresh pastries, soups, sandwiches, gourmet salads, waffles and breakfast sandwiches – along with, of course, freshly-brewed coffee.

The drive-through in Edgewood came later, and quickly built up a solid customer base. There you can find all the coffee offerings typical for an espresso stand, including teas, but made with a most personal touch using five-star coffee blends. If you are hungry, you can pick up muffins, cookies, scones and breakfast burritos all made fresh at the Federal Way café and delivered daily. Kids can enjoy Italian sodas, hot chocolate and fruit smoothies (like strawberry-banana, a best seller). Iced coffee drinks and espresso shakes are made with Dan’s Cold Brewed Espresso (named after the company’s CEO and master roaster Dan Olmstead), a brewing process that produces rich, smooth flavor without the melted ice in your cup and that bitter aftertaste found in other cold espresso drinks.

Poverty Bay in Edgewood is open seven days a week: 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit http://www.povertybay.com.

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