Sequim cafe opens its doors to coffee lovers

SEQUIM — “Someday” has come for Don Batcheller, the man behind Rainshadow Coffee Roasting Co.

Batcheller, who’s been roasting coffee beans for 15 years, celebrated the opening of his cafe at 157 W. Cedar St. last week with much pouring of java, ginger and oatmeal cookies and a klatch of local business people.

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Ken Hays welcomed Rainshadow, supplier of 10 coffees from around the planet, to the downtown cafe lineup with a ribbon-cutting Thursday afternoon.

Batcheller has been roasting and selling his coffees here since 2009; he’d wanted to open a shop “someday.”

And Rainshadow looks lively, as befits a caffeinated spot: Comedic paintings by local artist Jeff Tocher adorn the walls through September, and Skip Kratzer’s “auto art” will appear next month.

In a former life, Batcheller was a mechanic in Santa Barbara, Calif.

His mission

Now, his mission is to provide fine, fierce coffees for the North Olympic Peninsula.

He joins a few other North Olympic Peninsula roasters, such as Sunrise Coffee Co. in Port Townsend and Princess Valiant in Port Angeles, in that endeavor.

At The Bushwhacker in Port Angeles, one of the restaurants pouring Rainshadow coffees, owner Bob Grattan said Rainshadow coffee is more expensive than the average cup — and worth it.

People notice the freshness, Grattan said.

“We’re about serving a good cup of coffee after dinner,” he added, “and supp­orting local businesses.”

The new Rainshadow cafe in Sequim hosts free coffee-tastings every Friday from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., so “people can come in and taste any or all,” Batcheller said, adding that he buys beans from the coffee lands of Costa Rica, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala and Sumatra.

Batcheller opens Rainshadow’s doors seven days a week: from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sundays.

The roaster can be reached at 360-681-0650, while his website is at www.RainshadowCoffee.com.

________

Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in Life

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe gets grant to digitize collections

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has received a $14,536 grant from… Continue reading

Harpist David Michael will present “Concert for Peace” at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Holiday concert set for Port Townsend

Harpist David Michael will present “Concert for Peace” at… Continue reading

Living Nativity set for Carlsborg

Carlsborg Family Church will present its fourth Living Nativity on… Continue reading

OUUF speaker scheduled

Guest speaker roddy biggs will present “Heart-Wrenchingly Painful Holy… Continue reading

Unity speaker planned

Stephan Plummer will present “Spirituality, Love, Life, Integrity and… Continue reading

The Rev. Pam Douglas-Smith
Service set for Unity in Port Townsend

The Rev. Pam Douglas-Smith will present “Embodying Faith: The… Continue reading

ISSUES OF FAITH: Does Santa drink ginger ale?

EVERYBODY KNOWS SANTA, the Christ-free saint of stuff. He was turned into… Continue reading

tsr
Olympic Driftwood sculptors set show

The Olympic Driftwood Sculptors will showcase works from several of… Continue reading

tsr
Sequim revives its Christmas Chorus

Community performances set this weekend

A GROWING CONCERN: For every season, there is a plant

WELL, THANKSGIVING HAS come and gone, and hopefully so has all the… Continue reading

Photo by Karen Griffiths

Cutline: My niece Brooke Stromberg and Lacy, both 15, make a winning turn during a barrel racing competition during an April game show in 2008  at JeffCo fairgrounds.   Later, the duo became the 2008 Washington High School Equestrian Team  and Patterned Speed Horse Association’s (junior division) state champions in barrel racing. Both shows were held in Wenatchee.
HORSEPLAY: Saying goodbye to a faithful friend

I’M FEELING A bit emotional as I share my Lacey passed away… Continue reading