Jen Hamaker’s love affair with coffee began in the 1990s at a deli she owned in Oregon, where she first started working with an espresso machine. She was hooked right away.
“It was super fun to use, and I loved it,” she said. “It was a very up-and-coming thing at the time. All the cool people were drinking lattes and cappuccinos.”
Hamaker is now the owner of Coffee Cabin, a drive-thru coffee shop in Buellton that just celebrated its five-year anniversary.
The shop came about out of necessity: After moving to the Santa Ynez Valley, Hamaker struggled to find adequate coffee for her visitors from the north.
“My family would come down from Oregon where there is literally a drive-thru coffee shop on every fourth corner,” she said. “They would want a mocha, but didn’t want to have to park the car and get out. It just wasn’t very user friendly.”
That’s when Hamaker called Roger Nielson, the owner of a plot of land in Buellton she had been coveting with new dreams of a more convenient cup of coffee.
“He is my angel, and he fought for me in front of the planning commission,” Hamaker said. “That particular location was very important to me. I was a single mom then, and I needed to know that my investment was going to be secure.”
It took 18 months, four air-quality tests to determine the emissions of the vehicles waiting in line, and more than $300,000, but Hamaker and Nielson were able to get permits for the business. The 244-square-foot kiosk was then built in Oregon, brought down via crane, and placed on a foundation.
“We hooked it up to water and sewer,” she said, “we started serving coffee, and here we are.”
Also from Oregon is Hamaker’s palate and knowledge of the product—something that benefits Coffee Cabin customers.
“Because of where I’m from, I’ve had the advantage of being able to taste and test everything,” she said.
Hamaker’s espresso is an Italian recipe roasting a blend of three beans at three temperatures.
“It’s like velvet and absolutely smooth,” she said. “It’s got the acidity, the boldness, and the richness. You can drink it all day long.”
Hamaker’s quality products extend past her espresso with handcrafted drinks using custom mixed powders and pure syrups.
“I didn’t feel like the market had a rich or thick enough powder out there, so we mix our own,” she said. “I didn’t want to use products with powdered milk or instant coffee. Our syrups don’t have derivatives either. My goal was to make something that’s actually worth $5 a cup.”
Coffee Cabin also features a line of quality smoothies from Dr. Smoothie made completely of crushed fruit.
“It’s something you can feed your kids and not feel bad driving away,” Hamaker said. “A 16-ounce [smoothie] has five servings of fruit.”
But if there’s one drink that’s “a must,” she said it’s the Mexi-Mocha. It starts with fresh orange essence.
“The orange gets mixed with hot espresso and Mexican-spiced mocha,” she said. “We top it off with real whipped cream, put a lid on it, and call it a day.”
The Mexi-Mocha and the Coffee Cabin’s other specialties can be so popular that Hamaker often encourages regulars to step outside of their comfort zone.
“A lot of times, people get stuck in a rut so we like to make them something different,” she said. “Along with their usual drink, of course.”
For Hamaker, it’s all about making sure the customers drive away happy, no matter what it takes.
“If you come to the shop, you’re going to be treated like family,” she said. “You’re going to be flirted with, leave with an awesome cup of coffee, and start your day off with a smile.”
Those smiling customers are also who Hamaker misses most. She relocated to San Diego after marrying her high school sweetheart, who is in the U.S. Navy.
“I miss being at the store,” she said. “The customers are fabulous; they’re our bread and butter.”
And though Hamaker’s goal is to eventually open another location or two in her new town of San Diego, for now she is thrilled with the achievement of reaching five years at the Buellton location.
“We had a huge party at Dos Carlitos II, a Mexican restaurant in Santa Ynez, with a bunch of people who helped me get started,” Hamaker said. “It’s such a close community … there’s really no other place like the Santa Ynez Valley.”
Coffee Cabin is located at 264 E. Highway 246 in Buellton.
The store is open Monday through Saturday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 686-1717.
Intern Dora Saltzman wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 13-20, 2014.