Something new is coming to Fall City – a coffee house. And believe it or not, in the coffee-loving, caffeinated state of Washington, Fall City has NEVER had a sit-down coffee shop.
The idea for the community-centered coffeehouse – Aroma Coffee Co. – started in 2007 with three women: Sara Cox, Kelsey Wilson, and Emily Ridout.
Ridout said, “We had a vision for a community-centered coffee shop in Fall City to bring people together to form deep and meaningful relationships through one of the world’s greatest neutral conveyors – coffee. We set our eyes on a historical landmark building that we knew would one day become a home-away-from-home in Fall City, and the first-ever coffeehouse to exist in Fall City.”
But no good idea comes without challenges – and these three business owners had plenty over the past 13-years, including long-standing challenges with Fall City’s septic system; waiting for the right person to buy the historic Prescott-Harshman building; and obtaining approval from the Historical Landmark for the necessary build-out.
It was a journey marked by patience, perseverance, partnership and purpose, according to the owners.
Aroma Coffee has a mission – “Cultivate fullness of life.” Ridout commented, “We believe this happens when people know they belong, individual needs are generously met and impactful relationships are being formed.”
Community Support Fuels Aroma Coffee Co.
The community has been behind the new coffee shop. The Prescott-Harshman building was purchased in 2018 by the Nelson family, who also own Fall City’s famed TreeHouse Point.
The Nelson family has been a big supporter of the new community coffee shop, partnering to help the Aroma owners navigate the permitting steps needed to bring their dream to reality.
The community has also given big to bring a coffeehouse to the small town, donating almost $25,000 (of the $35,000 goal) to an online fundraiser to help renovate the historic landmark building located at 33429 SE Redmond-Fall City Road.
Aroma Coffee is scheduled to open the first week of September – but with build-out happening right as COVID hit, that almost didn’t happen.
Ridout explained, “After 13 years of pursuing this dream, we paused to consider if we could be successful in opening in the midst of a pandemic. Each of our families came together and ultimately, we decided that after such a long journey, we couldn’t stop now. In fact, we felt that Aroma Coffee Co. was more important than ever before as people struggle to experience authentic connection in this time. We are carefully monitoring the regulations and believe we can honor them while we open the doors to our community.”
Good Luck Aroma Coffee Co!
[Fun Fact – there may be a treehouse coming to the Aroma Coffee Co. property in the future.]
The online fundraiser for the Aroma Coffee Co building is still open. Those wishing to donate can find more info on the fundraiser page.
