'Best Job Ever'

DAYTON – Many people in Columbia County know what it's like to wake to the sound of roosters crowing. Even in some parts of town. For the caffeinated at heart in Dayton, a rooster in the morning means so much more.

It means fresh coffee, conveniently located right off of Highway 12 on the western edge of town, served by the chipper, smiling and often psychic Judy Rowland.

"People hardly ever have to order," Rowland said, claiming that she has memorized 95 percent of her customers' favorite drinks. "I know what they want."

Rowland has owned and operated Rooster's Brew at 36709 Highway 12 for the last nine years. It wasn't a career she planned, but she couldn't be happier.

"It's the best job I've ever had," she said. "The people, oh my. They're so supportive!"

Rowland confesses she has never bought an espresso. She doesn't even drink coffee anymore.

"When I first started, I had to tell people, 'Okay, taste that and tell me if it needs more. I can't take away but I can always add more.'"

Rowland moved to Dayton with her husband, Bill Rowland, 31 years ago. She had lived in Dayton previously but had moved away for a number of years.

Bill worked at many jobs over the years – drilling and blasting, county road crew and groomer at Ski Bluewood. Rowland tried out many office positions around town – she worked a clerical job at Dayton General Hospital, The Dayton Chronicle, at Banner Bank, at the former DQS and at McQuary's Grocery.

Then, in 2006, Tom Heinrich bought Broken Spoke Storage and former Rooster's Brew building, which was originally run by Ginger Watko and her husband, Rowland said. Heinrich, who doesn't live in the area, needed someone to help manage the storage units – so he offered Rowland the coffee shop building in exchange.

"It worked out great," Rowland said. She kept the name of the old business. She works from about 4:30 a.m. until early afternoon in the coffee shop and can help storage renters with keys, contracts and other issues.

"If I do have to take off, I leave a little note in the window so people know where I went."

Rowland said she wasn't sure right away whether the business would work. She did some calculations on a scrap of paper (which she still has), estimating how many cups of coffee at what price she'd need to sell to make it. Her numbers were pretty close – in fact, she does even better than she expected. And she does it all herself – no helpers.

Once every other Sunday she dashes to the Tri-Cities for supplies, but otherwise she's almost always at the shop or at home, where she and Bill live out on North Touchet Road.

She and Bill do not have children together, but she is step-mom to Bill's children. And many of the children (and adults) in the community are part of her extended family. She has photos and drawings all over the refrigerator in the shop.

Over the years, she's had her share of trials and tribulations. She's been burglarized three times, she said.

"It's kinda devastating." But she doesn't store much in the way of valuables or cash in the little building, so she hasn't lost much.

The rewards have been much more influential. She has a loyal customer base. About 40 percent of her customers each day are regulars. She even knows their routines. She'll often check the clock and prepare a drink just in time for the customer to drive up to the window – and Rowland will hold the drink out the window so the customer can grab and go.

Many regulars keep a "reverse tab" in the shop – a carefully guarded sack of labeled envelopes of cash from which Rowland can pull out each day's cup of joe and add to her till. "And I never send someone away without their coffee," she said.

If a newbie stops in without realizing that Rowland doesn't take credit or debit cards, she'll offer to let them have their drink with the promise to return another day and pay.

"They almost always come back to pay," she said. "And they often buy another drink while they're here paying for the last one."

She even has regulars who don't have a favorite drink but who trust her to make them a yummy surprise every day. She's never gotten a complaint.

Rowland hears stories all day long – complaints about work, excited chatter about life, gossip, and other news. She calls many people "honey" and gives some tough love where it's needed.

"Here you go honey," she tells one man who's stopped for a drink and is already having a bad morning. "Just a plain one today. You have enough on your mind."

For another customer, she adds a dash of sweet love. "I put a little whipped cream on this one," she said. "It'll make her a happy woman."

One dedicated customer, a woman who often drives through town on her way to Idaho, will stop only at Rooster's Brew for her chai tea.

In return for her morning ministrations, Rowland is often treated herself. One long-time storage-unit renter, Bob, donated all of his wife's rooster decorations when she passed away. Rowland says she hasn't bought any of the many roosters that festoon the inside of the shop. They've all been gifted by the grateful coffee lovers in her life.