Java Bean celebrates 20 years

For Tony Hoyt, coffee has always been a deep-rooted passion. The West Seattle native first started working in the business at a stand outside Nordstrom in Downtown Seattle when he was 25 years old.

“I was just doing something that I loved and I was addicted to coffee,” Hoyt said.

He opened the Java Bean in 1989 just outside the original Morgan Junction Thriftway. It was West Seattle’s first coffee cart.

“It was an immediate success,” Hoyt said. “We were so warmly received by the community over there.”

Seven years later, Hoyt moved the business down to Luna Park where he traded in the cart for a café.

“I love the café atmosphere,” Hoyt said. “It’s a community gathering place to talk about politics, come together with people in your neighborhood and share.”

Since the Java Bean first opened, Hoyt has always prided himself on the quality and origins of his coffee. Java Bean sells only 100 percent fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee and brings in top items from four different local bakeries.

"We really put everything we have into making a great cup of coffee and connecting with our customers," said Karen Gray, operations manager at the cafe.

Hoyt describes his clientele as “the best people in the world. Really great, down-to-earth, wonderful people.”

Besides enjoying delicious beverages like the Venetian Latte, customers say they feel at home with the café’s cozy décor and particularly friendly staff.

“Java Bean has kind of a classic Americana flavor," Hoyt said. "I try to make it feel like an extension of someone’s home."

Over time, the business owner has seen a drastic increase in his competition.

Hoyt has also seen Seattle shift from a city lined with coffee carts to one filled with cafés.

Hoyt said the shop has been so successful because of his dedicated employees and "good, old-fashioned hard work."

The Java Bean opened a second café in Ballard in 2000, and Hoyt is considering opening a third soon.

He said he hopes to celebrate the West Seattle location’s 20th anniversary at a Luna Park block party this summer.

In the meantime, Hoyt has one primary goal for the café: “To make the best cup of coffee you can get in the world.”