Our Story
Maybe it's Olympic Coffee's fault. Afterall, it was and continues to be one of my favorite coffee shops of all time. This was one of my sister's first jobs, so naturally I spent some time there (and even washed a few dishes). The buzz and energy that filled the coffee shop was inspiring. The owner, Steve, took great care of his customers, and would never compromise quality. It was so fascinating; watching the Baristas freshly grind their roast, pull shots, and craft classic espresso drinks with such quality and care. The power of what a coffee shop can do is underrated. Coffee shops are where dreams are made, the big interview takes place, the meetings are held, and where relationships are nurtured; it's a space where innovation and creativity run wild. Although my memories from Olympic Coffee are from the late 90's; the buzz, the smell of fresh espresso, their spectacular pastry case, and exceptional quality of service continue to be my tools for measurable standards, and all these memories I continue to look back at, fondly.
As my Fiance says, "a long story, less long," Fast forward 20 years, and some change - plus a few episodes of Cupcake Wars, Cut Throat Kitchen and of course - - The Great Food Truck Race; the dream of having a Mobile Espresso Truck was born. I attended the Barista Academy in Tukwila, WA, and that was it. It was after my time there that I was committed to turning this dream to reality. What started out as a simple cargo trailer, became a custom-made coffee stand. Through literal blood, sweat and tears, this trailer was converted and custom branded. Our family spent many hours working in the trailer, fine-tuning recipes, developing signature drinks, preparing for our pre-opening inspection, then - - we were faced with a potentially devastating obstacle.
On 1/13/23, the trailer was hit by a wreckless driver, speeding in our neighborhood. Luckily, all involved were uninjured. While the exterior damage was bad - - at first glance, we had no idea of the true extent of damage we were about to uncover. The impact was so hard, the trailer had spun a 180 out of it's original position. All the appliances broken, all the product - - lost.
However, I come from parents that know the true meaning of hard work and sacrifice. They never said a word to teach the important of both, they just - - Did. Lucky enough, I was able to grasp this lesson at such a young age. What a gift. It would take both hard work and sacrifice to rebuild, and rebuild is exactly what we did - - brick by brick. It took quite some time, but now we are fortunate to have a multi-generational family, grass roots grown business, that serves quality drinks, and always looks forward to participating and engaging with the local community.
If you stop by and see us, you'll likely meet my Kiddos that bring me such joy and inspiration, my Fiance that holds me down when things don't go quite right, my Brother and his Wife - who without their support, I'm not sure where this business would be, and my Mom - - my best friend, and emotional anchor. And - - if you're able to get a peek INSIDE the truck, you might see some of the early "drafts" my Kiddos did of our logo ideas, and truck layout. Athough this could be considered "Trade Secret" information, both Ramona and Nico are quite the artists, I must say!
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-Cheers!
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