Bothell coffee shop caters to kids

  • Amy Rolph
  • Monday, March 29, 2010 12:59pm
  • Business

The tables come in two sizes at The Village Bean. Short and grande.

The smaller ones, about as high as a grown-up knee, are for Karin Resing’s little customers — the ones who come in with their moms and dads and order apple juice or hot chocolate.

The Village Bean coffee shop in Bothell’s Country Village. (Herald file photo)

The cafe is noisy, full of talking and yelling and the occasional smack smack smack of tiny feet running across the floor.

“It’s a happy noise,” said Resing, who doesn’t really notice the chaos anymore. “It’s the sound of little minds thinking.”

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She opened The Village Bean in Bothell’s Country Village in August. The vision was to own a family-friendly coffee shop where moms and dads could bring their kids without worrying about spills or shushing.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Resing said one morning last week, watching as pastries were divided and toys were passed around the tables in her cafe. “It’s just how I imagined.”

The goal was to create an environment where kids could learn without knowing they’re learning, Resing said. That’s why there’s a butterfly display near the cafe’s door. It’s why the conversation at the train table sounds a little like a United Nations negotiation.

After just a few months in business, Resing is feeling optimistic. She thinks she’s found a niche for herself at Country Village, a picturesque shopping center off Highway 527 just north of the King County line.

She has a plan for The Village Bean, including Friday movie nights and Saturday music nights starting this summer. Then she’d like to expand and create a space for private parties.

She owned a business based at Country Village before — a gift shop that sold handmade relaxation products. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks undermined consumer confidence, she and her sister closed the store.

“After 9/11, people were just so afraid to spend money,” she said. “We tried really hard to make it go.”

Resing said she learned something from mistakes made the first time around.

“You can’t measure success unless you’ve failed at something,” she said.

She planned for three years before opening The Village Bean. She researched coffee shops, chose her location at Country Village carefully and funded the startup from personal savings.

In the end, it was family who helped her get the business off the ground. Her husband, Rob Resing, owns a photography studio at Country Village and helped her construct the cafe.

Her parents and sister helped remodel the retail space, and her 8-year-old daughter helped paint.

“I think you’re only as good as the people around you,” Resing said. “If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that you really need to surround yourself with quality people.”

Know a small business you think we should write about? Contact Herald writer Amy Rolph at arolph@heraldnet.com.

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