Although the two enterprises are at 10th Avenue West and Howe Street, well off the beaten path of Queen Anne Avenue, they're thriving. The businesses, which opened within days of each other in mid-January, are quickly becoming neighborhood meeting spots.
Planning and more planning
After years of working for other people, Jenn Stock decided to open a small, community grocery store, similar to the business her grandfather owned in New Jersey.
"Every little sleepy neighborhood deserves a grocery/coffee shop," the owner of the Ice Box said.
Stock, who owned a catering company, began planning five years ago. Everything, so far, has gone according to her plans, Stock said.
"I've been thinking about it for so long, I pretty much knew what to expect," she explained.
Stock knew right away that the Queen Anne location was the place for the Ice Box. The building's old charm appealed to her.
Later, she learned that another grocery store had opened in her space during the 1930s.
Holly Bauersfeld and Holly Hill's planning for Hollys Espresso & Desserts began a mere 18 months ago. The pair spent a lot of time at the Small Business Administration's office downtown working on spreadsheets.
Unlike Stock, neither one had business experience, and the SBA opened their eyes.
"They said, 'Yes, you will need an accountant,'" Bauersfeld said.
The most difficult part for the duo wasn't the planning, though: It was finding a business space.
"That was a lot harder than we thought it would be," Bauersfeld said.
Then they noticed the space at 10th and Howe and realized that there wasn't a community meeting place on the west side of Queen Anne hill.
Everything at that point seemed to fall into place, including the fact that the building owner happened to be looking for a coffee shop to as a tenant.
Coming up with a name was a different story. Their original moniker was the Gaelic word for coffee, but the word wasn't readable to Americans.
"Then someone said, 'Why don't you just call it Hollys?'" Hill said.
A neighborhood with soul
Stock's goal was to create "a business with a soul," she said.
To Stock, that means a diverse mix of products than can be found in a typical neighborhood grocer that also meet the needs of the neighborhood, Stock said. "You know, a place where you could pick up an apple or banana, some toilet paper and some gourmet cheese," she said.
Her large customer base is already asking for organic produce and gourmet meats, Stock noted.
"[The customers] come from sixth Avenue West and down from 15th Avenue West," she said.
The first thing customers see when they walk in the door is a large table of fruits and vegetables. In a cooler is a small selection of wine and beer. Other shelves hold household cleaning products, salad dressing and cereal.
Next to the register is a small deli section offering homemade sandwiches, gourmet cheeses and varieties of olives. Behind the counter is a small kitchen, where sandwiches and salads are made.
The goal for Bauersfeld and Hill is for the neighborhood to "own" their shop and make it a destination.
Both Hill and Bauersfeld wanted to get back to an "old school-coffeehouse, making coffee one cup at a time," they said simultaneously.
"We wanted something... neighborhoodly," Bauersfeld said.
"Like a European cafe," Hill added.
With ochre walls, dark wood paneling, coffee posters and not-too-bright lighting, Hollys does feel like a European cafe, an influence the owners believe they picked up overseas.
A chalkboard behind the counter displays prices for espressos, cappuccinos and Americanos. A case next to the register has shelves of homemade cookies and brownies by the Hollys. The pies and cakes are made by various bakeries.
Hollys' coffee is from a roaster in Olympia, which can be a problem because the roaster doesn't deliver, Hill said. The company can send orders overnight, though, she added.
Brisk business
None of the three owners is worried about the economy. Hill and Bauersfeld, for example, consider coffee an affordable luxury.
Business for both establishments is growing. Most of their customers live nearby. The neighborhood may seem quiet and out of the way, but there's a steady amount of traffic on foot, by car and via bus.
"I'm actually pleasantly surprised," Stock said.
Bauersfeld and Hill found the neighborhood's diversity surprising to . Students, senior citizen and families have started to visit the shop.
"And they talk to us like we're bartenders," Hill said. "I didn't expect that."
The two owners of Hollys met four years ago during a University of Washington study-abroad program. Opening a coffee shop was something they always wanted to do.
"It's been exhausting," said Hill of the pace of business.
They're always busy making coffee, cleaning or talking to customers, said Hill, who lives in Queen Anne. Bauersfeld said that while she lives in West Seattle, the long working hours qualify that statement.
"Technically, I live here [in Queen Anne] and visit West Seattle every night," Bauersfeld said. The Hollys have two sources of energy: talking to customers each morning and "all the free coffee we can drink and all the free desserts we can eat," Hill said.
As new owners, they understand it will take time to understand the ins and outs of their business. "It's hard to be patient," Bauersfeld said.
Essential to the community
Dolores Marie Rossman, who lives across the street from the building in which the two new businesses are located, saw their predecessors close a couple of years ago.
"I lost a sense of community," she recalled of the original businesses, a grocer and a hairdresser's shop. "Now it's like having a community center back." Rossman said she has always believed that "small businesses do a lot for a community" and is excited the new enterprises have opened.
Not only will the new enterprises contribute to the community, Rossman believes, they'll create work. They also give the neighborhood a meeting place and allow neighbors to get to know neighbors again, according to Rossman.
"There's a win-win for business and neighborhoods," she said.
Rossman notes that small businesses are fragile yet important, and that's why she chooses to spend her money in them, she said.
Other residents simply like the atmosphere and location. Mykel and Megan Montgomery are nearby Queen Anne residents who have become regulars at Hollys. Every Sunday the two sisters spend time at the coffeehouse, knitting. "We're happy this is close to our homes," Mykel said.
"Any place that has a nice, comfy couch and doesn't mind if we stay a long time is great," Mykel added.
Bill Putnam is assistant editor of the Kirkland Courier, an associate publication of the News. He can be reached at qanews@nwlink.com.
[[In-content Ad]]
