POULSBO — John Boyd is in the business of offering perks.
Besides a morning wake up, he’s hoping his new Poulsbo Perk coffee shop on Viking Avenue will also became a place offering perks to young and old, coffee drinkers and java dissenters and everyone in-between.
Silverdale resident Boyd said his dream of owning a coffee joint began back when Starbuck was just a fictional character in “Moby Dick” and short and tall were more commonly used to reference a person’s height. In college, he recalls being one of the few people who owned a professional espresso machine. But the buzz bean’s grip actually found him as a child in Minnesota.
“I’ve always loved coffee,” he said. “I started drinking it when I was about 9. I’d go out in the garage and sneak Folgers because I had very strict parents who wouldn’t let me have it.”
Boyd came to Kitsap County in 1992 with the Navy. Here, he met his wife Lyn, who co-owns the shop with him. He said he originally wanted to open something when he got out of the service but “chickened out” because he felt the coffee market was too heavily saturated. But for the next 12 years, the desire continued to percolate. He started looking at Viking Avenue in September 2002 and has been working toward the opening since May 2003 after deciding that he had something special to offer.
“I realized, if we had a unique place for customers to come and we treated customers and employees right, we could do well, even in this competitive market,” he explained.
Besides offering the typical punch cards and a VIP program that gives discounts to regulars, one of the biggest aspects of customer service at Poulsbo Perk has to do with selection. Among the shop’s extensive coffee, smoothie, juice and pastry menu are many additions at the request of customers. Boyd said if a customer asks for something, for instance a flavored syrup they don’t already carry, they’ll do their best to fill that customer’s need by the next time they visit.
“I think that makes a big difference for that customer because they see we actually care about what they want,” he said.
And while they say you can’t be all things to all people, Poulsbo Perk is certainly giving it a shot. For the true coffee fanatic, Boyd offers coffee from a 25-year-old local roaster whose name remains a “trade secret.”
“I’ve been all over the world and tasted coffees in places like Italy and France and this is the best coffee I’ve had bar none worldwide,” he commented of his brew.
Coffee drinks range from the traditional espresso, mocha and latte fare to drinks like The Perky Jerky, a mocha made with a blend of several chocolates and four shots; The Jerk, which has six shots of espresso; and the Espresso Fredo, an iced drink made with espresso shaken martini style with ice and raw sugar.
A monthly specialty drink menu is a collaboration from Boyd and his employees. October’s specials include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup mocha, pumpkin pie breve and white chocolate butterscotch mocha.
For the non coffee drinkers, there’s smoothies made with real fruit and blended “Rush” drinks. Add on “perks” like protein, ginseng, wheat grass, flax seed, nonfat milk and soy milk help customers tailor their drinks. Some are low carb and all are made from scratch and include the “Fitness,” “Feel Good” and “Recovery” — recipes which were created with help from staff at Armstrong Fitness for use before and after workouts. Of course, there’s always selections like the caramel “Gold Rush” for sweet tooths.
“If you want to make it more healthy, you can. Or you can go the other way,” Boyd said.
And where some coffee shops cater exclusively to adults, Poulsbo Perk welcomes young and old. As parents of three kids, the Boyds wanted to create a place where parents felt comfortable coming in for a cup of joe, even if they had their kids with them. Eight-ounce “Little Perk” drinks like cocoa and juices are offered for a very low price, and a basket of toys can distract the little ones while mom enjoys a coffee break. A photo of Boyd and his best friends on their first day of kindergarten even hangs over the coffee bar as a sort of tone setter.
“I think kids bring life to life,” he said. “We wanted this place to be friendly and inviting for moms to bring in their kids.”
Besides beverages, Poulsbo Perk also carries scones from Pouslbo’s New York Deli, bagels from the Blue Brick Bakery and muffins. Boyd said he’s hoping to eventually expand the food to offer elegant dessert items and keep the shop open later on weekends for the after-dinner and after-movie crowds.
