Penny Wight was between jobs when she decided to open a European-style coffee shop aside the gardens of Wight’s Nursery in 2003.
Since then, she has expanded her reach with a similar coffee shop at Couth Buzzard Books in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood — and Espresso Buono is more than fun experiment; it’s a way of life.
Q: How, or why, did you decide to open your business?
A: Dad Wight, who started Wight’s Nursery, started to build onto his tiny office at his Glennwood Office Park. I was between school principal jobs. He and I had joked with each other that an ice cream shop would be nice on the property. I’d had thoughts of a coffee/books/music gathering place years before franchise coffee hit Seattle. One thing led to another …
Q: What convinced you that this was the job for you?
A: At the time, working for myself in a garden setting with potential for my grown sons’ involvement in the business and the chance to provide a positive and comforting experience to customers seemed a lovely job. It seemed the business could become an outlet for my own passion for Italian-style coffee, books, music and gardening and perhaps grow into an arts and events venue for the community. I had run small businesses before and was aware of work involved. So … I decided to take the leap and see what I could do.
Q: What does it take to blend your passion with your livelihood?
A: It takes an enormous amount of energy, time, persistence, business sense, usually money and perhaps youth to pursue something you are passionate about and, at the same time, earn a living and take care of a family. Fortunately, Espresso Buono wasn’t expected to be a sole/major source of income. Still, I would like for my passion for Italian-style coffee, books and music to turn a profit.
Q: What are the crucial elements of success for your business?
A: It is crucial that I do my best to make sure whoever is barista on-site at my coffee shop knows our product and how best to serve it, knows or is willing to learn about the community in order to best serve it, is genuinely interested in people, is energetic and invested enough in the business to go the extra mile to help it succeed.
I think it also crucial for any small-business owner to be passionate about and enjoy business as well as the services and/or goods the business provides. The business owner needs either to know how and have time to do well a large variety of business tasks — employee training and management, accounting, marketing, networking, inventory management — or afford to hire out and successfully delegate such tasks. In the midst of all the tasks that seem sometimes to have nothing to do with the purpose of one’s business, one has to keep hold of the dream or idea that birthed the business.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge and how did you meet it?
A: The food/beverage business is particularly challenging because inventory doesn’t have a long shelf life! You need to create a menu that appeals, buy ingredients/items that impress but which don’t break the bank, and manage amounts of what you buy to provide the best consistency of product with the least amount of waste. The service part of my food service business is particularly challenging because each barista needs to have all the attributes I mentioned above, and yet most baristas are on a relatively short break or on their way to some other adventure more important to them. The books business is challenging thanks to amazing technologies that allow folks to download books even onto small smart phones. Any arts business for profit is challenging because it seems artists are expected to do art for the love of art … not to profit by it. I thought I, in my near-retirement years, could tackle food service, books and arts from within the walls of a small coffee shop! I and my business are even now in a state of re-invention of sorts, hopefully to our community’s delight, in order to meet the challenges.
Q: How did your friends and family react when you told them you were getting into this business?
A: Mom and Dad Wight seemed pleased that a member of the family, albeit a daughter-in-law, would be “on campus” with Dad at the office park and maybe enlist more family participation. He was also cautious, being a good businessman. My sons and some friends seemed to think it a fun idea. My husband and others likely thought I was crazy to abandon a career for a financially risky business but let me go my way.
Q: What motivates you?
A: I’ve always, until recently, been motivated by a challenge. I haven’t liked to think I can’t do something.
Aside from that, I am motivated by people I have around me who teach, nurse, serve, labor and otherwise help others. What better endeavor than to treat such folks to a good coppa and a smile!
Q: When you’re not working, how do you enjoy spending your time?
A: I enjoy reading, making music, gardening, beachcombing, hiking and traveling with my husband. I enjoy time I spend with family and friends and I enjoy alone time to reflect on what I am doing and why.
Espresso Buono
Where: 5106 196th St. SW, Lynnwood
Phone: 425-774-1338
Online: http://espressobuono.com/
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