Photo by jill Russell
GREEN BEANS. Shannan Hughes (left) and The Greener Bean Coffee Company owner Courtney Lockey take a break from serving customers.
Among the tangled jungles of Starbucks, Tully’s and Seattle’s Best, Courtney Lockey has managed to carve out and cultivate The Greener Bean Coffee Company. Although the independent, fair trade coffeehouse sprang up in Fircrest on Oct. 8, it has already managed to attract a small following.
“Business has been pretty good so far,” Lockey said. “Every day is better than last.”
Like most small businesses, there have been a few small hiccups along the way, including a city of Fircrest zoning code that prohibits drive-thru windows within the store’s town center complex. Lockey is still waiting for the final verdict from Fircrest City Council.
“They still haven’t voted on the code yet,” Lockey said. “We already put a space in, hoping (city council) allows us to do it. If not, at least we have a pretty window.”
The small business owner has not let this minor setback get her down. She is very happy with the store’s location in Fircrest because her father grew up in University Place.
“It’s a great location and great community,” Lockey noted.
As the company continues to grow, its goals and commitments remain the same. The five-year former Starbucks employee said keeping the store globally responsible and environmentally-friendly is number one.
“My goal has always been to open a coffee company and I knew I wanted to do my part to make the world a better place environmentally,” she said. “All the drinks are fair trade and 100 percent organic. The tea is from Mad Hat Tea in Tacoma and coffee is from Delano’s in Sumner.”
Although she admits to gleaning inspiration from bigger chain stores, The Greener Bean has managed to infuse creativity and originality into its products. Drinks such as the “Mayan Mocha,” which blends Mexican mocha powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and Habanera-cured sugar, for a taste that is spicy and sweet. Other favorites are the chai tea latte, which uses Black Scotty chai tea from Woodinville and the “Mexican Monkey,” which is a concoction of a banana, a shot of coffee and Mexican chocolate. If customers are feeling less adventurous, they can order local coffees and teas too.
“Whatever you want, we have it,” she said.
As Lockey looks toward the future, she has begun to bring more live music on weekends and family events, such as story times with free hot cocoa on Saturday mornings. On Friday nights from 8-10 p.m. customers can enjoy open mic nights.
“The goal is to have a seat for everyone,” Lockey said. “We want to be a community place.”
The Greener Bean Coffee Company is located at 1039 Regents Blvd. in Fircrest. Store hours are Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about events, visit http://www.greenerbeancoffee.com or call (253) 564-7336.
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