POULSBO — Coffee used to be a part of Toni Gore’s dreams.

Now, it’s also part of her family.

The Kingston resident opened Java at the Plaza on the west side of the Plaza 305 complex off State Highway 305. Gore said she and her husband Wade, who is a truck driver for Kingston Lumber, moved to North Kitsap from Port Angeles two years ago and had been looking for a good coffee shop location ever since.

“It’s just something my husband and I have wanted to do for a long time,” Gore said, noting that she’s the official coffee fanatic in the family.

The small storefront next door to the Poulsbo Department of Licensing office was formerly Byron’s Coffee. Gore said she found a listing for the lease online and immediately signed the papers after falling in love with the merlot and buttercream interior and whimsical paintings on the walls.

“It was already here and already decorated,” Gore said. “It just ended up being the right one, the right price and the right decor.”

Java at the Plaza carries a full range of espresso drinks, Italian sodas, teas and blended coffee and tea drinks. With an emphasis on fresh and high quality, Gore chose to buy her coffee beans from a small roaster in the Bremerton area.

“I tried a lot of different suppliers and their wholesale price was the best and it tasted the best,” Gore said.

And to go with all those cups, Gore also stocks small snacks like chips, fresh fruit and grab and go items like hot dogs, Cup ‘O Noodles and instant oatmeal. She also carries bagels, breads and pastries, some of which come from Little Norway’s own Sluys Poulsbo Bakery. On the drink side, the shop carries a wide variety of cold bottled juice and soda.

Though Java at the Plaza is a first business venture for Gore, she said she’s gotten great back up when it comes to the coffee shop world. Many of her drink recipes came from her mother, who owns Flutterby Coffee in Port Angeles.

“It was something she’d wanted to do for a long time, too, and she finally did last summer,” Gore said of her mother’s shop. “I guess coffee runs in the family now.”

And in less than a month in business, Gore said that people are already starting to find her through word of mouth and by following the sandwich boards she places on State Route 305 and 8th Avenue each morning. She said her neighbors have also brought her a few customers here and there.

“It’s slow starting but it’s starting to pick up,” Gore commented. “I get a lot of business from the (Department of Licensing). They’ll come in here while they’re waiting.”

While Java at the Plaza only has sitting room for a couple of small bistro tables at the moment, Gore said she has big plans to expand in the near future. Soon, the false back wall will be knocked out to create a more comfortable, library-style sitting room. Once the larger seating area is complete, the Gores plan to create a small gift shop-style area with homemade craft items for sale in place of the current seating.

Gore also hopes to add fresh deli sandwiches and soups to the menu by this coming fall.