When discussing the Pacific Northwest’s cultural love of coffee, the first cities that come to mind are often Seattle and Portland. However, there’s a new coffee stand in town that prefers to take a more rural approach.
Marirose Haatia is the franchise owner of the newly opened Country Coffee drive-up coffee shop, at 6202 N.E. Highway 99 in Hazel Dell.
Country Coffee may be a new addition to Clark County, but its origins date to 2013.
Country Coffee got its start as a small espresso stand in Boring, Ore. Its founder, Melanie Ward, died earlier this year, but her legacy is carried on by her family, friends, and team members. Country Coffee has now grown to 12 different shops across Oregon.
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Now Country Coffee has been able to expand into its first location in Washington.
Haatia started working for Country Coffee four years ago, while studying to become a veterinary technician. While she would go on to enjoy her time in the veterinary field, she often found herself thinking back to Country Coffee and soon realized it was her true passion.
She opened her own franchise this summer.
In addition to serving the usual suspects, Country Coffee boasts signature drinks such as a caramel and dark chocolate Haystack Mocha, a caramel cinnamon Horseshoe Latte and the CC Special, a white chocolate Americano.
The secret ingredient to these delicious creations comes from Country Coffee’s exclusive roasters, which operate out of the original location in Boring.
However, what Haatia enjoys most about her business is no secret.
“The best part of my job is getting to know all my customers,” Haatia said. “They become such a big part of your everyday life, especially when you’re lucky enough to have such wonderful regulars like the ones we get to see every day here.”
That same passion drove Ward to create Country Coffee back in 2013. Haatia hopes to continue her legacy with goals of opening additional locations across Washington in the future.
“Working for Country Coffee has brought so many people into my life, including some of my best friends,” Haatia said. “It’s like one big loving family and I feel so thankful to work and be a business owner for such a great company run by great people.”
Those who want to learn more about Country Coffee or look at the menu can visit www.countrycoffeecompany.com.
