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Get comfortable at the Kickstand
Cafe The Kickstand Cafe offers a bright and cheerful place to relax, study and drink some good coffee. Its owners, Laurel Allen and Rich Johnson, strive to transform it to a relaxed and welcoming environment. The Kickstand has its regulars, and quite a few people come over from the Grand Cinema just next door. Allen says she likes seeing people come over who have never been and enjoys how comfortable they can become. The Kickstand, named for Johnson’s love for mountain biking, will have been open two years in May due to word-of-mouth success. Neither Allen or Johnson has any background in business. Johnson is a musician and Allen is a writer who previously worked for the Tacoma Reporter. The pair remodeled and decorated the space themselves over a nine-month period. As a result, they both share a keener grasp on the effort of operation and experience of venturing into the coffeehouse business successfully. During the construction, money fell short and Johnson had to sell his mountain bike. Allen had to sell her motorcycle. Going through the process of construction allowed them to solidify their ideas and hopes for the café. Their hope is to become an integral part of the neighborhood. “It feels like what you should do, be a part of the ebb and flow of the community” Allen says. Due to Johnson’s interest in music the Kickstand occasionally hosts concerts, which are posted on the door frequently. Once the café opened, the two worked from 6 a.m. to midnight everyday until they turned a profit and were able to start hiring employees. Once things settled down they were able to change the hours to suit the community and begin to enjoy the space they created. The Kickstand ran a contest, with the prize being a month of free coffee, to the artist of a mural chosen to go on the back of the bathroom door. Janet Jensen, whose work was chosen, painted an electrical outlet, with subtle hints of coffee. Jensen’s work, currently on display, is of silk-screened lighters, matchbooks and a larger than life stunning staple remover, all in vibrant clear colors. The laid back atmosphere is encouraged through the music playing unobtrusively and the many books available for patrons to borrow. Additionally, there are magazines available for sale, including some that are difficult to find, such as Soma, Ms., Index, Magnet and Zoetrope. The Kickstand serves all the typical espresso drinks, Island Oasis smoothies and Chai tea. They use Morning Glory Chai for a variety of drinks in addition to the customary Chai latte. They endeavor to provide many options for their customers; smoothies can be made with yogurt, ice cream or just fruit. They also offer a large selection of loose tea from Golden Moon served hot in a French press. The Kickstand serves lunch, soup, sandwiches, bagels, and often, fresh baked pastries and cookies from an organic bakery in Seattle. They also serve Naked Food juice. |
“I
like seeing that happen. We wanted to be vital part of the community;
to provide a place that is comfortable for people to relax in” Allen
says.
