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Coffee is the universal fuel—a dark, bitter drink that people all over the planet enjoy every morning to get them
revved up for the day. The Service Station in North Spokane follows suit as a unique, multi-purpose venue that
offers rich-tasting coffee in a space that's designed to get people jazzed about good community and a good cause.
Touted by the Inlander as the 2nd Best New Business and 2nd Best Late Night Coffee in all Spokane, the Service
Station was started by former pastor Scot Robinson and his wife Debi in a vision that blends business and
ministry to the community. "The Service Station is a place where college students, young adults and families
can hang out and listen to music and enjoy community in a safe, alcohol-free environment," Robinson says.
As a nonprofit organization, the Service Station is committed to giving back both locally and globally. Locally,
any profits beyond administrative costs are donated to various organizations throughout the city, including
CrossWalk and Excelsior.
"It's really all about serving the community," says Robinson. "That's why we call it the Service Station."
Globally, the Service Station partners with Dominion Trading Company, a Liberty Lake-based fair trade organization
that works with Ethiopian farmers. Dominion ships its array of gourmet, single-origin coffee beans, which
are roasted locally at Anvil Coffee Roasting Company and then packaged for Service Station Coffee. The exotic
names hint at exotic tastes: Ethiopian Sidamo, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Ethiopian Harrar.
With only seven months since opening their doors, the Service Station has served an average of 15,000 customers
a month and keeps a full schedule of booked events every week. Business has boomed: after the first
month, the Service Station exceeded their six-month projection and since then has grown 17% each month
after.
"The staff is really friendly here," says a Whitworth College senior. The Service Station has attracted a huge college
population because of its proximity to the campus. "They have really good food, too."
More than a cafe, The Service Station is an 18,000-square foot complex that offers on-site event services to
the community with rooms for rent that can be utilized for everything from a large company meeting to a private
wedding reception. On the ground floor, a spacious 6500-square-foot auditorium holds up to 800 people as a
state-of-the-art concert venue and is available for a variety of events, including banquets, weddings, receptions,
concerts, seminars and conferences.
Also available for rent is an executive board room for private group gatherings, business meetings or conference
calls, a green room adjascent to the auditorium, and a versatile conference room that seats up to 150
people and can be used for everything from a business conference to a birthday party. Each room is equipped
with high-end equiptment and designed to create an inviting, community-conducive space.
The main attraction of the Service Station is of course the coffee shop, an upscale European-style café complete
with a grand piano and a stone fireplace. Jazz bands perform live on Friday and Saturday nights starting
at 7 p.m.
"We have a lot of bands that play here," says Robinson, who has brought a diverse array of musical groups
including Telecast and The Afters. The café also serves salads and desserts from Fery's Catering, baked goods
from Sweetwater Bakery and house-made sandwiches. The building itself won 1st place for Inland Northwest
General Contractors 2005 Building Northwest Award for buildings under 5 million.
The most important award is the support of the Spokane area, so we invite you to join with us in our effort to
provide quality community and quality coffee. The café is located at 9315 N. Nevada near the Whitworth College
community and is open Mondays through Saturdays, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information, call Scot Robinson (509) 466-1696 ext 301
Images available for publication, contact Aaron Breeden (509) 466-1696 ext 302 |
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