Family-owned, dog-friendly, neighborhood coffee shop Woodland Coffee was founded by Vanessa Daiger in 2016. Regulars love the Olympia coffee, locally-sourced pastries, and warm community vibe.
Story
Woodland Coffee is a relative newcomer to the Seattle coffee scene. Opened in September 2016 by Vanessa Daiger, its clean design and simple menu offers a no-nonsense workspace, open gathering space and exceptionally friendly service.
Vanessa’s young for a small-business owner, at 25, but coffeeshops have always been part of her life.
“It was funny, my parents had these two different coffee shops they went to within two blocks of each other. So my dad would drop my mom off, and then drive to his,” Vanessa said, laughing.
Although her parents would go separately during the week, on the weekends her family would all go out together, to another cafe or to walk their dogs at nearby Woodland Park. That same park is her cafe’s namesake, a reminder of her family’s relationship with coffee.
Woodland sources its coffee from local Olympia Coffee, and pastries come from other area businesses. Even one of the baristas, Pam, came from Caffe Fiore where she and Vanessa used to work together. Vanessa draws inspiration from Fiore’s community atmosphere and credits her old boss as an inspiration.
“The small-town community that he built … people came in every day because it was his shop, because they felt appreciated by him,” she said.
Fun Fact
Although Woodland Coffee is owned and run by Vanessa, it’s a bit of a family affair. Her father’s company built the building that houses the cafe, and the shop’s graphic design is done by her sister.
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