Woods Coffee was established in 2002 by the Herman family of Lynden, Washington. With a dream of starting a chain of coffee shops, the Hermans pooled their talents and resources to create the first Woods Coffee shop in Lynden. After six months, they opened their second store in the same town. Since then, they have been on a steady growth track. The Herman family currently has a total of 19 stores in the Pacific Northwest including Bellevue, the first location in King County.
Woods Coffee serves handcrafted coffee beverages and made-fresh daily food, including breakfast, lunch and pastries and a warm inviting atmosphere. Woods Coffee’s values focus on serving others, making a difference and having fun. We’re excited to introduce Wood’s store manager Natalie Marrs and show how she lives out the Wood’s values everyday
What is your name?
Natalie Marrs
Which coffee shop are you with?
Woods Coffee Bellevue Square
What inspires you to come to work every day?
Working for Woods Coffee helped me get my life back on track when I was at an all time low. I first started working for the company after getting very sick and having to medically withdrawal from Western Washington University. Feeling like I could never get caught up and was grasping for anything when I was lucky enough to get hired to work at the busiest drive thru location in Bellingham. After the first week I was so overwhelmed I was ready to quit. Working in coffee is hard. My manager at the time, Holly Nava, told me if this was going to be my last shift that was fine, but for today my goal was to make as many people smile as possible. That day I had so much fun connecting with guests and my teammates that I told her I wanted to stay. The store became my second home, my team a second family, and all the guests created a sense of community for me in Bellingham. A couple months later I was able to start back at WWU to continue my sophomore year. From then on I worked at the Lakeway Woods while going to school full time until graduating with a degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Sports Psychology. In my classes I learned a lot about team psychology and focused most of my projects on employee wellness. Since graduating, my goal has been to create a healthy and positive family environment at work where my employees always feel supported and actually want to come to work. I love my baristas and I would do absolutely anything for them. I can’t wait to be a part of the Woods Coffee expansion and create a barista family in Bellevue.
Signature coffee order?
Woods cold brew with a splash of nonfat milk
What is your favorite accompaniment to your morning coffee?
Banana bread from Woods Coffee
When you’re not drinking coffee, what’s your go-to beverage of choice?
Smoothie from Freshii at Bellevue Square
Do you have a favorite place in Bellevue?
Sushiland
Where’s your go-to happy hour spot?
Cactus
If a customer asked you where to go for “the best bite” in Bellevue, where would you send them?
Nordstrom Cafe
What activity in or around Bellevue is a “Must” for those visiting the region?
Lucky Strike bowling/arcade
Where do you go when you’re craving something sweet?
Vivo 53 ice cream sundae
What’s your favorite spring or summer event in Bellevue?
Farmer’s market
Stay tuned for more Bellevue Coffee Maker Spotlights from Visit Bellevue Washington. Be sure to pay Natalie and the crew at Woods Coffee a visit this summer and post your photos with the hashtag #MyBellevue to enter our summer photo contest! (Full contest details here.)
Photo Credits – Woods Coffee
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