As an enterprise founded in the Pacific Northwest, we really connect with a sense of place and history. We are passionate about our home state of Washington – both its scenic splendor, and its iconic past. We value the simplicity of bygone eras, and the hard work, commitment and lives of those who came before us – those who laid the foundation of all that we enjoy today.
We also like to incorporate story into our work wherever possible so people can deepen their connection with our brand. So we named our coffees in part, to tell the story of this great place where we live. Most of our blends names are plucked from our local history. Here’s what’s behind a few of them:
Milltown was the nickname for Everett (one of our cafés is downtown) back when it was a booming logging and lumber center that attracted barons like John D. Rockefeller and others.
Queen City is what Seattle was known as before it became known as the Emerald City.
Smuggler’s Cove is the name given to a beach north of Seattle where during prohibition, moonshine was smuggled via a tunnel from a brick mansion down to the beach under cover of darkness into waiting boats.
Great Northern Railway first connected the Puget Sound region to the markets of the Midwest and East Coast. All that timber could now be sold across the nation.
Interurban was one of the principal lines of the Puget Sound Electric Railway, a light rail trolley that began operating in 1902, and connected all the centers of commerce before there were even roads. One of our cafés is just a few yards from where the tracks once were.
So, when we say our coffees are ‘Brewed with Heart’ in the Pacific Northwest, we really want to convey through the brand, that awe-inspiring feeling of the natural beauty that surrounds us where we work, live and play. And now you know what’s behind some of those quirky names. Do you feel it?