WhatcomTalk is a digital media company based in Bellingham. We specialize in targeted marketing using our proven Integrated Branding Platform to educate marketers on advertising options to Whatcom County readers.
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced Business Development professional interested in joining a fast growing organization. WhatcomTalk offers an uncapped commission plan plus base salary with high earnings potential. If you strive to be the best in your field, value a flexible schedule, desire a team oriented and friendly work environment, we want to hear from you.
Responsibilities
Maintain and increase client base.
Accomplish a set number of sales calls to targeted referral sources.
Develop relationships with community referral base to meet targeted financial objective and annual budget.
Develop and implement market plan that is consistent with market analysis and reflects current potential referral sources.
Responsible for census development through use of marketing programs with both existing and new referral sources.
Requirements
At least 3 years experience in sales
Proven ability to grow a customer base
Energetic, fun personality
Previous experience working with a sales team to meet goals
Compensation
Competitive compensation package includes base salary and commission
WhatcomTalk is a digital media company sharing positive stories about people, places and businesses in Whatcom County. WhatcomTalk offers content marketing and online options to advertise across our community social network in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale and beyond. Advertise with WhatcomTalk to reach your target market, grow your brand, and measure results.
“I enjoy convalescence,” Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said. “It is the part that makes the illness worthwhile.”
Good luck convincing a doctor of that, though. After surgery, your care team isn’t likely to let you get away with much downtime.
Absolutely critical to successful recovery from surgery is a period of rehabilitation to restore movement and function. When it comes to recovery, extended bed rest is rarely good.
Christian Health Care Center, located in Lynden, provides on-site physical therapy so its patients can rest and rehabilitate after surgery, at the same time. Photo courtesy: Christian Health Care Center.
That’s why Christian Health Care Center (CHCC) in Lynden provides on-site physical therapy, partnering with Infinity Rehab, to provide high-quality, focused rehabilitation services to its patients. Their physical therapists work to help patients restore lost movement and function by assisting with basic mobility and balance, pain relief, strength restoration and exercise.
Let’s say you have hip or knee surgery scheduled soon at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Once you’re discharged, there will be no convalescing (sorry, Mr. Shaw). Doctors will prescribe a regimen of physical therapy to help you strengthen your joints and get you back to normal.
A couple of weeks of focused inpatient therapy care can help speed up the healing process while also easing the burden on family members, who won’t have to drive you to appointments, help you with personal care, or fix you breakfast. Nursing professionals are available 24 hours a day at CHCC, meaning you’re never without assistance.
And because you’ll have more time with your therapist than you would during outpatient rehab, healing and recovery times can be much faster. At an in-patient rehab center, you’ll focus on rehab and recovery (and, yes, a little rest), working with physical and occupational therapists on a regular, consistent schedule.
Transition services post-rehabilitation are also available for interested patients. Photo courtesy: Christian Health Care Center.
After all that hard work, when you’re ready to return home, CHCC also offers transition support to help ensure you’re set up for success.
Surgery is tough, and recovery is no picnic either. You should focus on the hard work of rehabilitation, and allow trained professionals to take care of the other important stuff, like meals, medication management, nursing care and support.
The Crystal Ballroom at the Leopold is undergoing improvements to its event venue, with changes scheduled to be completed in the fall. Located in the heart of downtown Bellingham, at 1224 Cornwall Ave., the facility’s renovations include the addition of a catering prep space, upgraded tables and chairs, and an expanded event area. The historic elegance — including the signature chandeliers — of the Crystal Ballroom will be preserved, which was built in 1929.
Last October, Dan Hammill created a new company, Ballroom Events, which began managing the Crystal Ballroom. The company provides sales, marketing, and venue coordination for the event facility. “We listened to our clients and heard the overwhelming need for a catering prep area and increased capacity. We’re happy to be able to provide both and offer even more for our guests to enjoy at their weddings, parties, and special events,” Hammill says.
For more information, contact 360-406-4702 or visits www.leopoldcrystalballroom.com.
One Dog At A Time takes a 5 senses approach to grooming teacup to medium size dogs. Photo courtesy: One Dog At A Time.
Submitted by One Dog At A Time
One Dog At A Time, a personal dog grooming salon in Bellingham, offers a unique five senses approach to dog grooming by positively activating each dog’s sense of smell, hearing, sight, touch and taste. When dogs experience all five senses in a positive way, they have a positive association with the grooming experience and will display “happy feet and expressions” when returning to the salon, says owner Connie Sasaki. “Humans also experience these senses, but I believe dogs experience them to a more heightened degree. One Dog At A Time works hard to ensure that the dog spa experience is nothing but positive and that they will jump for joy when they return.
Groomed dogs are happy dogs. Photo courtesy: One Dog At A Time.
Connie summarizes the experience this way: “As you enter the salon, you will smell a clean environment that is diffused with a lavender scent for health and relaxation. You will also hear soft tranquil classical music playing ever so softly. You and your dog will experience eye-to-eye contact with the owner and a personal greeting that makes both feel welcome. All dogs are cuddled in warm towels after a bath and offered a ZiwiPeak treat (if authorized) that is healthy and includes no artificial preservatives, colors, salt, sugar, fillers or grains. Lots of hugs are given in both direction and a close bonding usually occurs on the first visit. On site there is a fenced-in area for dogs to stretch, relieve themselves or just get a drink”.
Benefits Include:
Single dog environment. This is awesome for dogs that do not get along with other dogs.
Quiet space. Ideal for dogs that are sensitive to noise.
Cage free. The owner is totally engaged with your dog from start to finish.
Same groomer. Reduces dog’s anxiety and provides consistent grooming.
One-on-one attention provides your dog with 100% attention, which dogs love.
Fewer distractions and less noise contribute to a calmer dog and focused groomer.
No forced air kennel dryers. Dogs are only hand-dried with various type of dryers.
Services are never rushed. Appointments are spaced to give each dog their own private time.
Reasonable all-inclusive price based on breed, size, condition of coat and behavior.
An avid dog lover, Connie takes great care to groom your dog as if it were her own. Photo courtesy: One Dog At A Time.
Connie is a certified groomer from the American Grooming Academy located in Temecula, California. She has been grooming dogs since she was a child, but it wasn’t until she retired from HR positions at Stanford University and Watson Wyatt International that she attended the California state certified grooming school. Connie worked for the award winning grooming salon Best in Show located in San Diego, California. She attends national dog shows and events to learn the newest techniques, latest products and often has a booth where she offers her own line of high-end bows and bandanas. One such booth will be at the Whatcom Humane Society’s Annual Dog Days of Summer Run/Walk Festival. This event is free and will be held at Padden Lake on Sunday, August 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For details, contact whatcomhumane.org. Bring your dog and visit the many pet-related vendors, including One Dog At A Time.
For more information about One Dog At A Time, contact Connie by phone or text at 360-223-4644 or email her at OneDogAtATime2016@gmail.com.
Holiday Inn Express is committed to making Whatcom County an even better place to live. Photo credit: Katie Kavulla.
Being able to pack your little one in a stroller and hit the glorious trails in Whatcom County is such a huge parenting milestone for local families. Whether you were a trail hound before you had kids and can’t wait to get the crunchy Northwest walking routes under your feet again or you’re discovering them for the first time, with kiddos in tow, there are countless places where you can get outdoors with a stroller.
North Lake Whatcom Trail
One of our family’s favorite local trails, both with a stroller and without, is the North Lake Whatcom Trail, or the Hertz Trail, as it’s also known. This trail is located at the very end of Lake Whatcom where North Shore Road eventually runs out. This trail is not only super flat and easy to push a stroller along, but it’s also perfect for older siblings who might want to bike alongside you. There’s a perfect turn-around point about a mile in where the large waterfall meets the footbridge — have a quick snack, splash in the little stream, and start making your way back.
Pros: This trail has a great tree cover the entire way out, so a few sprinkles won’t be a problem.
Cons: The small parking lot can be packed on sunny days. Don’t miss the additional parking spaces up the hill, just past the bathrooms.
Park at Million Smiles Playground Park in Lynden to start this stroller-friendly trail. Photo credit: Katie Kavulla.
Jim Kaemingk, Sr. City Trail
Spending time in at Million Smiles Playground Park in Lynden is always a treat, but have you ever wondered where the trail that heads out from the playground ends? Grab your stroller and find out! The Jim Kaemingk, Sr. City Trail begins in the playground’s parking lot. Head east on the trail, along Fishtrap Creek, ending up at Bender Fields, nearly a mile away.
Pros: A lightweight stroller is all you need to navigate this nicely paved path.
Cons: If you start at Million Smiles Playground Park, it might be hard to get the kids off the playground and on the trail.
South Bay Trail
One of Bellingham’s most popular trails for the stroller-laden and stroller-free alike, the South Bay Trail takes you from downtown Bellingham to Fairhaven along a 2.5-mile path. We like parking in Fairhaven where the parking is free and heading toward downtown, making a pit-stop to play at Boulevard Park and grab a treat (read: coffee) at the park’s Woods Coffee location. Roundtrip, this trail is quite long at over 5-miles, so plan on being out and about for the day if you’re going to tackle the entire thing!
A pit stop along the South Bay Trail at Boulevard Park is perfect for catching the sunset. Photo credit: Katie Kavulla.
Pros: There are countless places to stop and play, explore, and adventure along this trail for little ones who might get restless in the stroller or for older siblings who need a break.
Cons: This trail can be quite bumpy in the places where it’s not paved. An all-terrain stroller works best for a smooth-ish ride.
Squalicum Harbor
While calling this a trail is a bit of a stretch, there’s no doubt that the walk that encompasses Squalicum Harbor is uber stroller friendly. Grab a parking spot near the Hotel Bellwether and take the path that leads along the front of the hotel, past the restaurants and to the parking lot. Make a quick jaunt across where the boats launch into the bay (stop and watch, if you can!) and through the businesses to meet up with the trail on the other side. You can continue on this waterfront walking trail to Zuanich Point Park, the perfect spot to play before turning back around.
Pros: Make the Marine Life Center touch tanks a stop along the way. You can park your stroller just outside.
Cons: Even on a sunny day, it can be quite windy along the bay, so don’t forget to bundle up!
At a mile in, this bridge is the perfect place to turn around on the North Lake Whatcom Trail. Photo credit: Katie Kavulla.
Whatcom Falls Park
If there was ever a spot in Whatcom County that was made for strollers, it’s the trail system surrounding Whatcom Falls Park. We love parking in the little lot where Alabama Street meets Electric Avenue and North Shore Drive. You can jump right onto the trail and head into the park for some playtime on the playground before heading back to the car — with a kiddo catching some z’s in the stroller — if you’re lucky.
Pros: There are so many starting points on this trail and you can take a different route each time you visit.
Cons: It’s easy to get carried away and turn your walk into an adventure without planning to. Make sure you bring extra snacks.
Race vehicles often have customized appearances and color schemes, highlighting a creative aspect in the sport. Photo credit: Carla Stewart.
Thirty minutes northeast of Bellingham at Deming Speedway, Makenzi (Kenzi) Thomas, 24, sports a black Star Wars “The Force Awakens” T-shirt under her racing gear. With a driven attitude, Thomas is equipped to race.
Dust from the track rises in heaps, covering the bleachers as spectators cheer cars reaching speeds just over 70 mph. Staff sells raffle tickets to the enthusiastic crowd while the smell of burgers and pizza hangs in the air.
Thomas, a Bellingham native, said she’s been a part of this racing community since she was young, and at age 10 she began racing mini sprint cars with her father. A mini sprint car is a high-powered race car intended for usually short, circular, dirt tracks. Now Thomas has the opportunity to race a Ford Focus Midget, which is a different vehicle and separate race than mini sprints.
Makenzi Thomas smiles after a satisfying race.
“It’s so weird to say, but I race Midgets now,” Thomas laughed.
She gets to race on account of her long-time racing friend, Ryan Cully. When Cully bought this Midget and asked if Thomas would drive, she had no doubts.
“Well yeah, you don’t turn down a racecar,” she said grinning.
“I’ve raced my whole life with my dad and family, and now I’m with a different family,” Thomas said. “I’m spoiled to have been given the opportunity to ever have driven a racecar — and I’m so grateful for that.”
Thomas said she has always “rolled with the punches” while racing, whereas this team is “more high strung.” She said she was content with some of her performances, but that she is working on pushing herself to be a little riskier during competitions.
Modifying her driving style and being a part of a new team “has been a weird adjustment but so fun,” Thomas said.
Cully, 24, who raced since he was 11, is thrilled with Thomas and her transition to the team.
“Makenzi has a subdued aggression and is incredibly calculated while she drives,” Cully said. “I like her as part of my team but off the track, Makenzi is just a stellar person.”
The racing community could not agree more. Just recently, Thomas took responsibility for her slight mistake during a race that damaged another driver’s car. Although unintentional and despite the fact that anyone can crash while racing, Thomas said she still feels horrible and made sure to immediately apologize to the other driver, who was thankful and forgiving.
Dirt spews out from under Thomas and her vehicle as she drifts sharply around the track. Photo credit: Anna Gallagher.
“Kenzi impresses me with her desire,” said Kaleb Hart, 34, experienced pit announcer and writer for Skagit Speedway and Deming Speedway. “There aren’t other racers out there that seem to want to race as much as she does.”
Hart said Thomas is dependable and sportsmanlike in race appearances and makes it to every race possible. Through her consistency on the track and in the racing community, Hart said he can understand how racing is an important source for Thomas’s happiness.
Another foundation for Thomas’s joy is her upcoming wedding this October. Her fiancé and girlfriend of seven years, Maggie Ferguson, 23, understands Thomas’s passion toward racing.
“Sometimes it’s hard to see how much work, effort, money, time and energy Kenzi puts forth, to maybe not even finish a race,” Ferguson said. “But racing is obviously what makes her happy, so it really is worth it in the end.”
Ferguson said she does not know everything about racing, yet attends the races, assists in the pits, and makes it out to RPM’s shop nights to help maintain and wash the race vehicles.
“I’m there to help,” Ferguson said. “Racing has made Kenzi a harder worker” and also complements her artistic side.
Ferguson said how Thomas is self-taught in graphic design. Thomas’s vision is to have her own business titled Landshark Media where her expertise in racing and interest in design could morph into an affordable one-stop shop for racers to get social media help and purchase gear like T-shirts and stickers.
Race vehicles often have customized appearances and color schemes, highlighting a creative aspect in the sport. Photo credit: Carla Stewart.
Thomas has had paid designing jobs already, Ferguson said.
Many people are eager to see how Thomas’s work ethic, passion and humble kindness will carry her life.
“I’m super excited to be a part of her future,” Ferguson said.
Join the family, friends, and racing fans at Deming Speedway to witness Thomas and many others do what they love most out on the track by taking a look at the current schedule.
Family owned and operated, the Fairhaven Village Inn is a quaint, friendly hotel right in the heart in Fairhaven. Photo courtesy: Fairhaven Village Inn.
In an urban setting, tucked among little shops and a couple of ice cream stores, you’ll find the tiny jewel that is the Fairhaven Village Inn. The Village Green is right across the street and Bellingham Bay empties out into the Pacific Ocean just outside the back windows of the hotel. It is a short walk (or drive) to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and Fairhaven Station. Western Washington University is just up the street, and downtown Bellingham is a short drive away. The Fairhaven Village Inn provides an incredibly convenient place for a staycation with your family, or you could book your visiting relatives for a comfortable stay with plenty to do.
Fairhaven Village Inn is a hidden gem in the Historical Fairhaven District. Photo credit: Libby Liming.
Originally built in 1999 by Ken Imus. Not much of a hotelier, Imus sold the inn to Connie and Gene Shannon just five years after it opened.
Originally from the Midwest, the Shannons moved to Whatcom County so that they could be closer to their daughter while she attended graduate school at Western. They came without a plan, found the Fairhaven Village Inn, and decided to take a leap of faith. They’re glad they did.
When Connie and Gene came to Bellingham and bought the inn, Fairhaven was a quiet little neighborhood in Bellingham. In the years that followed, buildings sprouted at a rapid pace. Condos have been the hottest commodity lately; stepping out onto a balcony on the water side of the hotel, you can watch the construction workers piece together even more additions to Fairhaven.
The Shannons are part of the vital expansions in Fairhaven, erecting South Bay Suites, the structure next to the inn, which is home to a handful of apartments, executive offices, the popular One Paper Boat apparel and gifts and Ovn Wood Fired Pizza.
At a rate mimicking the growth around them, the inn’s staff grew from a single full-time employee and seasonal help in 1999 to nine full-time employees with rotating seasonal staff today.
The bed in one of Fairhaven Village Inn’s 22 guest rooms. Photo credit: Libby Liming.
With all of this growth, it is still a family affair at the Fairhaven Village Inn. The Shannons’ son-in-law is the longest-term employee. He first came to Bellingham to be with Connie and Gene’s daughter. Connie said she needed someone to help with media and facilities. He never left, and he and the Shannons’ daughter live nearby with their children.
Being family-run and with the autonomy not offered through a corporate-managed hotel, the Fairhaven Village Inn is a smaller hotel. They boast 22 fabulous rooms and one large suite in their hotel. Being smaller and non-corporate means they can be more versatile and pay closer attention to their guests. They take customer feedback very seriously and take special care to implement changes necessary to keep their guests happy.
The inn is currently in what Connie refers to as a “fixtures, furnishings and equipment” phase, meaning that they are updating carpeting, upholstering and bedding. The result is obvious when you step into one of their beautifully appointed rooms, sink into one of the armchairs near the fire or fall into the soft bed after your long day exploring the Historical Fairhaven District.
On a walk past the Fairhaven Village Inn during the summer, one could notice the group in spandex, toting their bikes through the lobby and out the front door on their way to Fairhaven Bicycle for a few repairs before continuing on a long ride, or the family with the small kids, laughing over a game of Candyland in the lobby, or the group of ladies on a “girls’ trip” as they cross the street to the Wednesday Farmers Market, or the couple sitting on the second floor porch, watching the outdoor movie from across the street, while enjoying a picnic from the nearby market.
The Fairhaven Village Inn entrance is a welcoming scene, complete with hanging baskets overflowing with fragrant flowers. Photo credit: Libby Liming.
Recently recognized by ABC as the top place for families to stay in the Pacific Northwest, the Fairhaven Village Inn is the perfect place to stay for anyone. For families with kids, larger groups or couples, the inn’s 22 rooms and stunning suite are available for your visit.
For information regarding rates and more, visit the Fairhaven Village Inn online or call 360-733-1311.
“I quickly went from being a girl working in my family’s bakery after school to a young woman working in a high rise in Seattle,” says Patti Rowlson as she tells the story behind the evolution of her life, careers and current business.
Patti Rowlson, owner of PR Consulting, a company that provides marketing services to Whatcom County businesses, has continued to make that evolution a part of her life and her business.
A strong work ethic and true passion of helping small businesses grow have made PR Consulting one of the most trusted marketing firms in the area.
Patti Rowlson is the owner of Bellingham marketing firm PR Consulting. Photo courtesy: Patti Rowlson.
“My dad taught me the importance of trust and what it means to have a strong work ethic. Those values have helped me succeed in business.”
The level of trust that her clients have in her is not something Patti takes lightly. She knows they are trusting her with their brand, their company’s reputation and — ultimately — their life’s work.
Patti’s ability to work with businesses began with her own early introduction to the ins and outs of operating a small business.
At the age of 12, she began working after school in her family’s bakery in Sedro Woolley. She served customers and eventually was trained to be a cake decorator. Her career path, as she saw it at the time, was to be a cake decorator in her family’s business.
And then life changed. Patti’s father, who managed the baking operation, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a month later–she was just 16 years old.
Her family worked hard to keep the business going but eventually had to sell it and Patti had to come up with a new plan for her future.
“Going to college was not an option for me. The death of my father, followed by a tragic accident involving my only sibling, put our family in survival mode so I did what I knew how to do—I put my head down and went to work.”
Patti at work creating a difference in the businesses of her clients. Photo courtesy: Patti Rowlson.
Patti moved to the Seattle area and went to work for a national grocery chain. After a short time there, she decided a change was needed. She went through a training program where she learned computer skills and medical terminology. Shortly after completing the program she was hired to do administrative work for a large hospital. It was there that she had her first taste of marketing and promotion.
From there, she transitioned to a property management company in Downtown Seattle. While with that company, Patti furthered her marketing education by learning customer relations and company representation. She was often told she had a talent for connecting with people.
Each time she made a change, Patti evolved and prepared for the next phase of her career and job. With each new job, she continued to learn and build her knowledge in areas where she knew she could make a difference.
During this period of professional growth and self-discovery, Patti married, started a family and put her career on hold.
“I was able to be a mom during an important time in their lives and I truly loved every minute of it,” she says. “For that, I feel really lucky.”
Patti sharing her wealth of knowledge on the radio. Photo courtesy: Patti Rowlson.
As her two children grew, Patti’s need for a creative outlet continued so she operated a seasonal plant nursery in Everson for 12 years. As an avid gardener, Patti would propagate and sell a variety of perennials, shrubs and trees. It was this adventure that launched her into the world of small business marketing as she looked to build a customer base for her plant sale. She created a website and started managing her first Facebook page.
“I’m a hands-on learner and I value continuing education. When I need to know how to do something I research, test and practice,” says Patti.
In 2005 Patti reentered the workforce. Her career quickly evolved to include administrative work, management and operations, customer relations and most importantly, marketing.
In the middle of 2009 a small business owner said, “I see what you’ve done for that business, can you help my business too?” PR Consulting was launched shortly after and it’s been evolving and growing ever since.
In addition to Patti, who serves as marketing director, PR Consulting currently employs Matthew Anderson as a content strategist and Brittany Volpenhein as a marketing/social media assistant.
Patti poses with her team, Matthew (center) and Brittany (right). Photo courtesy: Patti Rowlson.
“We have assembled a team of truly experienced marketing pros. Together we help PR Consulting’s clients be strategic and consistent with their marketing efforts. We help them shine a light on their products and services on and off-line.”
Patti spends her time these days not just making sure her clients have what they need, but also ensuring that she keeps up with the latest in social media and content marketing practices.
“The tools and best practices in our industry change quickly. Marketers and social media managers have to keep up or they quickly become irrelevant,” she says.
Today PR Consulting is hired by small to mid-size companies that need help setting up and maintaining a variety of marketing programs, including social media management and blogging.
The business also hosts educational workshops to the public and offers free resources to DIY marketers. The resources on PR Consulting’s website — and included in their monthly newsletter — provide local marketers information on the latest marketing tools.
Are you in need of marketing services for your business? Contact PR Consulting and see how Patti and her team can help grow your brand. Photo courtesy: Patti Rowlson.
When asked what resources have inspired her, Patti says the book “Work the Pond” really spoke to her because of its approach toward positive networking, practicing kindness and valuing everyone you meet.
“I’ve met the nicest people by simply showing up, practicing positive networking and being approachable. Some of those people have turned into customers and others I’ve been able to refer business to. Some have turned into friends and even employees in real life. I love that!”
For more information about PR Consulting, visit PR Consulting online or give Patti a call at 360-306-3720.
The bakery staff in the new Co-op Bakery and Cafe. Photo courtesy: Community Food Co-op.
From residents and businesses who make a difference in the community to summertime treats that leave us craving more, these were WhatcomTalk’s most-read stories in July.
Each cup is meticulously prepared upon order to showcase its natural flavor in its purest from at Onyx Coffee Bar. Photo credit: Theresa Golden.
Lemon Verbena, vanilla custard, blackberry and chocolate are just a few of the flavors you might taste in a cup of coffee at Onyx Coffee Bar in Bellingham. Owner Edwin Martinez imports and exports raw green coffee beans from Guatemala to roasters all over the world and at his coffee bar on Railroad Avenue where patrons can taste these flavors — which range from subtle to robust — firsthand. Lightly roasted to accentuate the extraordinary range of flavor that a darker roast can too easily mask, each cup is meticulously prepared upon order to showcase natural flavors in their purest forms.
Onyx Coffee Bar Manager, Kevin Bailey, pours a fresh cup of coffee for tasting at Onyx Coffee Bar. Photo credit: Onyx Coffee Bar.
At Onyx Coffee Bar, showcasing a coffee’s natural quality is a bit of a science. “The grind size is important, the water quality, the water temperature and then lastly the contact time,” Edwin explains. “Our goal here is to be really meticulous with each one of these details so that the water is a perfect temperature, the coffee is weighed by the tenth of a gram, and then the water is also weighed so, as it’s poured, we’re not using too much or not enough water to get the right extraction. In the end, that’s all just an effort to showcase the quality of the raw product that’s roasted in a way that allows the raw product to shine, which in general is a lighter roast.”
A great cup of coffee begins in remote highlands on small farms where varieties of plants are dependent on soil quality, elevation and long-term care. “On the global level, you want to be between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn,” Edwin explains. “Most of our coffees are in the 5,000 up to 6,000 feet high [range]. If you don’t have that elevation, the weather is warmer and coffee will grow faster.” Fruit that grows faster comes across visually as healthy, but it’s the slow-growing fruit — the fruit that has experienced struggle — that takes the appropriate time for natural sugars to develop.
This natural sweetness is one of the qualities Edwin really looks for in a great cup of coffee. “The number one thing is sweetness, number two is acidity, and number three is a clean cup.” By clean, Edwin means absent of certain defects that can lower the quality of the coffee. When taste testing coffee, Edwin looks for that sweetness that only comes from slow-growing fruit, bright acidity, and the variety of fruit flavors made noticeable by a lighter roast.
Preparation is key to making a good cup of coffee. Photo credit: Theresa Golden.
Achieving this quality of coffee, for the small farmer, is the primary hope for a sustainable niche in the marketplace. “It takes a lot time and it’s a lot of fuel just to move fertilizer, bags, tools, and people let alone the coffee — and coffee is very labor intensive,” Edwin explains. “It takes a long time to produce, so for us to have a good crop we need to plant that seven years prior. Because it’s such a long-term commitment — and because our cost of production is higher — lower quality coffees aren’t economically sustainable in Guatemala.” Edwin explains that consumers won’t buy coffee simply because it was harder and more expensive to make. The quality of the coffee really needs to be noticeable for roasters to be willing to purchase it at a price that will cover the farms production expenses. Obtaining such a high quality takes a lot of knowledge, dedication and commitment to the product and the community.
For Edwin, connection to farmers and coffee production began with his own childhood visits to his grandparent’s farm. “I grew up in Guatemala for the first 12 years of my life and my grandfather has a small farm that grows coffee.” Here, vacations at the farm were richly immersed in the coffee growing business. Born in California, growing up in Guatemala and traveling between both cultures, Edwin didn’t feel like he entirely fit in. But part of that experience was fun and exciting for him. “Part of growing coffee in Guatemala is once you pick the fruit you take the skin off, you ferment the fruit off and then you wash it and then you have to dry it. You sun dry it on a big patio. So we would clean these patios up and I would skateboard on the patios. So I would be really far away from the city, no electricity, yet I just had an amazing time riding a skateboard in a place where no one had seen a skateboard there.”
In his adult life, Edwin operated a small espresso cart in Bellingham giving him a first taste of the retail side of coffee. While working with a company that manufactures small roasters, Edwin became interested in learning how to import coffee from his farm in Guatemala. Deciding to move to Guatemala with his wife, Edwin worked through the time-consuming challenge of trying to get a license to export coffee in a country where previous export licenses were typically grandfathered in. Once licensed, his first attempt at selling the coffee ended in buyers agreeing to a much lower price than previously established, resulting in a loss. However, the second attempt proved fruitful.
Owner Edwin Martinez takes great pride in providing quality, naturally sweet, flavorful coffee to his Onyx Coffee Bar customers. Photo credit: Theresa Golden.
“We sold all the coffee from our farm and started buying from neighbors,” Edwin shares. “Then, over the last nine or ten years, we’ve slowly grown. We’ve had some spurts and plateaus where we’ve developed more relationships with other farmers and we connect roasters all over the world with these farmers directly and we work with them really to provide any support that we can that they need.”
For Edwin, Onyx Coffee Bar was a natural outgrowth of Onyx Coffee. What began as a need for a private office and lab, separate from home, eventually became a brick and mortar place where roasters could have a private coffee tasting experience to aid in their decision making. Being that the location was already in a retail storefront, opening the tasting experience up to the public seemed like a natural evolution. “I wanted to showcase the coffees that we had, showcase really great coffee in a way where people could taste the product and maybe develop curiosity and learn more about how it was processed, not just what country it came from but anything that would draw them in closer to maybe appreciate difference in quality, which then would lead to people being willing to pay more or less based on quality.”
The quality flavors you find at Onyx Coffee Bar today, however, won’t necessarily be the flavors you find tomorrow. With a menu that changes each week, surprising new coffee tastes can be an expected experience worth looking forward to.
Each cup is meticulously prepared upon order to showcase its natural flavor in its purest from at Onyx Coffee Bar. Photo credit: Theresa Golden.
Onyx Coffee Bar can be found at 1015 Railroad Avenue #105. Previously open solely on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., hours are currently extended to include Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Edwin’s vison and passion for coffee is also behind a new coffee house called Primer that will be opening this summer adjacent to Elizabeth Station. Designed to be more of a traditional coffee house, complete with cream and sugar, Primer hopes to offer coffee from specialty roasters along with accompanying treats.
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
