Olympia Coffee Roasting Company opens its fifth location today in the historic Proctor neighborhood in the north end of Tacoma, Washington. This is the company’s first retail location in co-owner Oliver Stormshak’s hometown and their second outside of Olympia (their shop in West Seattle opened earlier this year).
Stormshak recalls visiting Tacoma cafes growing up in the 90s. “Tacoma cafes played a huge role in shaping me as a coffee professional. Temple of the Bean was my personal favorite while I was in high school,” Stormshak tells us (Temple of the Bean is now Cosmonaut). “Our Westside Olympia location is greatly inspired by that cafe.”
“I loved Cafe WA’s space which is now our friends at Bluebeard. Shakabrah’s original location was a great place to hang out with friends, couches, good music, open mics. I remember Duane Sorenson (we went to high school together and our mothers work together) who would found Stumptown making me ice mochas. I met my wife in Buzz City, a coffeehouse on the corner of I and Division at a record release party for Katie’s Dimples.”
Olympia Coffee Roasting’s new space, designed and built-out by The Artisans Group, features a La Marzocco Strada AV espresso machine, customized by Pantechnicon Designs, FETCO batch brew, and pour-over via the Poursteady automated dripper.
Roasting will be done on-site using a custom-made Diedrich IR-5 Kilo Roaster. Customers have an opportunity to sit and watch the roasting take place on barstools with a view. A blend created for the Tacoma cafe called “Little Buddy” is named after Stormshak’s sister’s 1986 Honda Civic which, according to their press release, cruised around Tacoma in the 90s.
Hours are Monday to Friday 5am to 7pm, Saturday 6am to 7pm, and Sunday 7am to 6pm. A grand opening celebration takes place Saturday, May 12th with artisanal goods neighbor Lapis. Stormshak tells us to expect “snacks, music, libations, and free brewed coffee all day.”
“I always dreamed of owning a coffee roastery, growing up. I always imagined it would be in Tacoma, in Proctor,” says Stormshak. “Even though this is our fifth location this is truly a lifelong dream for me.”
Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge.
Photos by Poppi Photography provided by Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.
