A taste of Oak Table Cafe to go

In mid-April Sequim locals Casey and Taria Nagler took the plunge and bought their first business together. The couple purchased a coffee stand, previously known as Trouble’s Brewing in Port Angles at the corner of Larch Avenue and U.S Highway 101.

By Alana Linderoth • May 13, 2014 8:18 pm
Taria and Casey Nagler pose with their dog Penny outside The Oak Table Cafe. Both Casey and Taria are eager to take their lifelong customer service and food industry skills and apply them to a place of their own. Their dog Penny is the inspiration for a light roast they plan to carry fittingly named “Penny’s Golden Roast.”
Taria and Casey Nagler pose with their dog Penny outside The Oak Table Cafe. Both Casey and Taria are eager to take their lifelong customer service and food industry skills and apply them to a place of their own. Their dog Penny is the inspiration for a light roast they plan to carry fittingly named “Penny’s Golden Roast.”

In mid-April Sequim locals Casey and Taria Nagler took the plunge and bought their first business together. The couple purchased a coffee stand, previously known as Trouble’s Brewing in Port Angles at the corner of Larch Avenue and U.S Highway 101.

Casey and Taria hope to open Silver Spruce Coffee Company by early June.

Family roots

For many months Casey and Taria have thought about owning and operating their own restaurant, which seemingly runs in the Nagler family’s blood. In 1981, Casey’s parents Mary and Billy Nagler, opened The Oak Table Cafe in Sequim and it is now a well-known breakfast and lunch spot. In addition to the The Oak Table Cafe, Casey’s older brother and sister along with their families run two restaurants, including a second Oak Table Cafe in Kingston and the Maple Counter in Walla Walla. Casey’s aunt owns the Chestnut Cottage in Port Angeles as well.

Sticking with the tree theme, Casey and Taria decided “Silver Spruce Coffee Company had a good ring to it,” Casey said.

With a whole family invested in the restaurant industry Casey and Taria know the challenges ahead of them. Although, they’re excited to branch out on their own, they also know how fortunate they are to have family close by.

“We feel very fortunate to have both our families’ support and expertise,” Casey said. “Our families are a huge help with this endeavor.”

Taria’s younger sister Lauren Hendrickson plans to help get Silver Spruce Coffee Company under way.

“We previously wanted to open a restaurant elsewhere, like the Seattle area,” Taria said. “But we both realized we really like Sequim and want to raise a family here and then opportunity to buy this place just kind of fell together.”

Unique niche

Knowing they wanted to stay in the area, but also realizing they didn’t want to open a cafe similar to The Oak Table Cafe or Chestnut Cottage, they decided to do something a little different while still maintaining Oak Table Cafe standards of fresh, quality ingredients: a drive-through espresso stand with gourmet food.

“We wanted to find our own niche, but take what we’ve learned about the industry and follow the family business model,” Casey said.

Casey will be the mastermind when it comes to food and cooking, building off his lifelong involvement with his family’s restaurants and Taria will act more as manager and apply her past barista experience.

“Right now I am working on crafting a menu to provide high quality food efficiently,” Casey said.

Luckily Taria and Casey have a vast amount of resources between their families. For example, the “complex cooking” will be done using the The Oak Table kitchen, Casey explained.

In addition to deciding on a menu, Casey and Taria have a vision for Silver Spruce Coffee Company that includes creating a “trendy natural Northwest vibe,” the couple explained.

“We want the outside of the building and surrounding area to represent the quality of products inside,” Casey said.

With that in mind, they plan to do some major landscaping, build a covered area for the drive-through and hope to create a space for outdoor sitting.

The menu

Though the menu is still developing, a few items have been decided on. In addition to full service espresso, some menu items include homemade biscuits and gravy, pulled pork on pita-bread with homemade barbecue sauce, soups made from scratch, breakfast pita, homemade granola parfait with fresh fruit, fresh squeezed lemonade and freshly brewed teas.

“We want to support the community and get as many ingredients locally as we can,” Taria said.

Rainshadow Coffee Roasting Company out of Sequim will provide their coffee.

Silver Spruce Coffee Company also will sell a couple of different unique coffee blends.

“We’ll offer a light blend, Penny’s Golden Roast, named after our golden retriever as well as a dark roast, The Tall Dark and Handsome, named after my husband,” Taria said.

Both Casey and Taria hope to emphasize the importance of good, consistent hospitality.

“Hospitality is what we know best from our years of experience,” Casey said. “It’s all about good food, hospitality and coffee.”

With a little more than a month before opening, Casey and Taria know they’re going to be quite busy, but their excitement and love for the industry helps them persevere.

“We’re already looking forward to having regulars,” Taria said.

 

 

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.