Small Business Spotlight: Dorothea Coffee
More than a coffee shop, Dorothea Coffee is redefining the cafe experience
By: Julieta Larios
In a world where coffee has become a fast-moving service, with people rushing to get their daily dose of caffeine before heading to work, Dorothea Coffee owner Conor Mahoney aims to provide customers with an opportunity to slow down, catch their breath, and savor coffee with intention.
Mahoney has been working in the coffee industry since high school. While working as a barista, he noticed that the quality of coffee is largely dictated by the roast. With this understanding in mind, he, with the help of his wife, Ashley Mahoney, opened a coffee shop and roasting business about 10 years ago in Seattle’s Central District.
Later, he shifted his focus to coffee roast production for about six years, though that pull to serve coffee never left. Eventually, he chose to settle in Downtown Mount Vernon with the help of his neighbors at The Wabash Project. Dorothea Coffee’s current location has allowed Mahoney to do both of the things he loves: serving and roasting coffee.
The business is cozy, but Mahoney shares that the size is intentional. “I liked that, it was different from your typical cafe. It forced a little bit more socializing between customers, because you can't really be in a space and not talk to the other people around you,” said Mahoney, referencing his first storefront and how it inspired their place today.
The shop's size makes it impossible to miss the bagged coffee that sits on their shelves or the large coffee bean cellars that line their wall. Dorothea Coffee sources beans from all over the world, locations like Lima, Peru, and Oaxaca, Mexico, or Ethiopia, to name a few.
“Quality is really determined by the producer, but roasting is important for maintaining and showcasing that quality,” said Mahoney. At Dorothea Coffee, they roast their beans to bring out sweetness while still preserving each coffee’s unique flavors. Otherwise, the time and effort spent sourcing beans from a variety of locations would be pointless.
“It allows a totally different engagement with customers, and engagement with the space and with coffee,” said Mahoney. “We are a lower-volume cafe as a result of not having espresso, less people come here every day, and that, in a way, is a good thing for us because it lets us have longer contact with people.”
Since opening the cafe about two years ago, Mahoney appreciates the diverse range of customers he sees who come into the space each day, people visiting from Seattle and Canada, or commuters stopping by on their way to appointments from the San Juan Islands. Downtown Mount Vernon’s central location makes these interactions possible.
If you are seeking a change of pace, try something new and visit Dorothea Coffee, and maybe strike up a conversation with a patron sitting close by.
Visit Conor at Dorothea Coffee!
514 S 1st St, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
