by ASHLEY MILLER
for the Sequim Gazette
 

Money can't buy happiness but a couple of bucks spent on a well-made espresso certainly can perk up a person's mood.

Johnna Roark - owner of the recently opened Happy Beans Espresso stand at 41 Gilbert Road in Carlsborg - speaks from personal experience. Brightening customers' mornings with coffee is one of her favorite parts of the job, she said.

Happy Beans Espresso, located at the corner of Gilbert Road and U.S. Highway 101, specializes in gluten-free, low-carbohydrate and low-sugar espressos and goodies in addition to all the regular drinks a coffee stand usually offers. Catering to special dietary needs is important to Roark, as she has several years experience dealing with celiac disease and diabetes within the family.

Happy Beans Espresso celebrated its soft opening Wednesday, Oct. 20. A grand opening celebration will follow after the exterior painting is finished and the signs and menu boards are mounted.

Business hours are 5 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week.

Prior to opening the yellow espresso stand with red and white trim, Roark owned and operated The Daily Grind in Port Angeles for almost nine years. She sold the business two years ago to focus on her family - her husband, Dean, and their three children ages 7, 10 and 14. With the children busy at school and having fun with extracurricular activities, Roark said she was antsy to start a new coffee stand.

"I like having a fun job and it's enjoyable working with young kids," she said enthusiastically. "I learn so much from them!"

With turn lanes and a median between east and westbound traffic, pulling into and out of Happy Beans is easy, Roark assured, not to mention well worth the time.

Drinks are made with Dillanos Coffee Roasters, "The world's smoothest coffee since 1992," distributed out of Sumner.

Prices are "very comparable" to other stands in the area, according to Roark.

"Give us a try," she said, speaking for herself and four baristas: Amanda, Katie, Holly and Sarah.

"We would love to become a part of your daily routine."
 

Coffee fun facts

• The amount of caffeine a cup of coffee contains depends on the type of beans that are used, how they were roasted and how the beverage was brewed. On the average, a small, 8-ounce cup of coffee contains anywhere from 65-115 milligrams of caffeine.
• American soldiers in the Civil War received rations of coffee that they brewed in water over campfires. During World War II, American soldiers received instant coffee in their rations. Since the soldiers were known as "G.I. Joes" and were known to consume large amounts of coffee, the phrase "cup of Joe" was adapted to describe a cup of coffee.
• Coffee is the second "hottest" commodity in the world, second only to petroleum.
• Just like tea, if you prefer to drink your coffee "black" or without sugar, milk or other additives, then it's a no-calorie beverage. That's why it's a favorite drink among people who are dieting.
• Dump some cold coffee into ailing houseplants from time to time and it will help them turn green and healthy. Or mix some used coffee grounds into the soil to help revitalize your plants.

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