For some folks, being without their morning mocha is a crisis. But J9’s Emergency Espresso comes to the rescue.
Just when we thought there were no two blocks in a row without an espresso stand, visit the Paine Field industrial area. It’s no-man’s land for worker comfort. The nearest 7-Eleven is a mile away. There is no place to walk for coffee on a break.
Enter entrepreneurs Greg McCarty, 49, and his partner, Jeannine Spencer, 48, both of Edmonds. McCarty is a machinist. Spencer worked in a machine shop. They talked about equipping a mobile espresso vehicle for weekend and holiday events. When Spencer lost her job, they decided to start the business.
Where does one get a used bus to convert to a coffee stop?
Ebay, of course.
McCarty found a shuttle bus for sale in Kansas, a surplus rig owned by a mental hospital.
“It doesn’t give me the creeps,” Spencer said. “It’s kind of a giggle.”
The bus was in a field near the hospital. The owners agreed to slap on new tires. McCarty flew to Kansas and drove the 1992 Ford bus home. The initial investment was $10,000. Spencer said she isn’t making near her old salary but is enjoying the challenge.
“I’ve met a lot of nice people,” she said. “I’m having fun.”
She credits Jurez Coffee Co. in Everett for helping with the Italian espresso machine and supplying the coffee blend. When they began the business a year ago, the owners dropped off fliers at businesses to see if they would be interested in her service.
Early mornings, Spencer is on contract with Cascade High School in Everett. She won’t get rich selling mostly 50-cent hot chocolate to students on their way to first period. The hot chocolate is popular because it’s made with milk and Hershey syrup, not powder, Spencer said. You’ll also see the Emergency Espresso rig at Everett Memorial Stadium during sporting events, or she’ll park at Cascade when there’s an afternoon tennis match.
“We donate 10 percent to the athletic fund,” Spencer said. “They don’t have to do anything but let me park.”
J9’s Emergency Espresso is licensed with the Snohomish Health District. Suzanne Pate, health district spokeswoman, said the frequency of inspections per place varies according to the complexity of the menu.
“The mobile units give us a schedule of their destinations so we regularly can find them to inspect,” Pate said. “We grant permits to about 2,600 restaurants and concessions in Snohomish County and inspect each one up to three times a year.”
There is a downside to the business. Gas prices are up, and milk costs an arm and a leg. They had to replace the generator that runs while the bus is parked, and it runs on gas, so they take a double whammy on the price of fuel.
I caught up with J9’s Emergency Espresso at Randy’s Ring and Pinion near Paine Field. Daren Rabago, in sales and tech support, was at the bus window ordering a 16-ounce mocha.
Rabago said the ease of buying brew in his company’s parking lot was great.
Mack McMillan, in tech support at Randy’s, carried his 24-ounce iced mocha back to his desk.
“It’s tough for us to get away,” McMillan said. “This makes it convenient. It’s nice and clean. It’s cool she keeps coming back.”
After she leaves Randy’s Ring and Pinion weekday mornings, Spencer drives the bus home to Edmonds for a cleaning. It’s set up like a spill-proof motor home, with bottles secured along shelves. To carry out their emergency theme, Greg McCarty found a decorating item on eBay. He bought a bright red emergency light and affixed it to the top of the bus. Windows are decorated with curtains showing stethoscopes, bandages, crutches and first aid kits.
For some folks in a coffee crisis, espresso is first aid.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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