EVERETT — Sandra Northey drove all the way from Bothell to visit the Everett Public Library cafe’s grand opening, and she said she’d do it again.

"This is better coffee than other places — it’s so nice and smooth," Northey said as she sipped a caramel layered latte Monday afternoon. "The chairs are really comfortable, and look at these beautiful oak tables and lamps. I could sit here all afternoon."

Northey, 53, was one of several hundred people who took advantage of free drinks to help inaugurate the cafe, operated by Espresso Americano. The library is the first U.S. cafe for the company, which has 78 locations in Japan, Honduras and Egypt.

Northey and friend Nancy Evans, 49, of Lake Stevens marveled at the 1934 art deco room, which was originally the library’s reading room but had recently been used for storage, temporary displays and book sales.

"The high ceilings are great, and the windows are so high up, they bring in light, even though it’s gray outside," Evans said.

"I love the dark wood walls," said Northey, who said she plans to make a detour at the cafe whenever she drives from Bothell to Bellingham to visit her mother.

The wood on the walls is oak-stained dark brown, and the tables are made of solid oak handcrafted by Monroe’s Allan Cole.

Displayed on wall shelves is artwork from four local artists. Art shows will rotate every two months and provide decoration for the cafe and income for the artists, said the president of Espresso Americano, Ron DeMiglio of Snohomish.

The oak chairs and artwork are touches meant to make the cafe stand out from national-chain coffee shops, he said.

"We want a place that’s a destination, and that’s representative of the local area," he said.

Book clubs and a chess club will meet in the cafe, and Library Director Mark Nesse said the coffee shop will attract patrons who want to take a break from reading or research, or who are dropping their children off for a story hour or other activity.

The library had first thought of adding a cafe more than a decade ago, but it wasn’t until an anonymous donor contributed $175,000 toward the estimated $200,000 cost of the project last year that it became a reality.

Sanchez Wallace was excited to hear the cafe will soon begin hosting open microphone poetry readings and acoustic-guitar concerts. The Everett man was sitting at a table in the cafe Monday writing song lyrics, a book and video he had just checked out beside him.

"I think this will draw a lot of people here," said Wallace, 24. "Everyone wants a place to go for their morning and afternoon coffee, and here you can get your book and sit down and read, or you can enjoy a coffee with friends."

Dan Staple said he passes by the library going to and from work each day and plans to make the cafe an occasional habit.

"It’s kind of one-stop shopping," Staple said while waiting in line for his free mocha. "You can take out CDs, DVDs and books, and you can get a coffee. And this is a place where the librarians won’t go, ‘Shush.’ "

Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com

The library’s coffee shop will be open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

The library is at 2702 Hoyt Ave.