Seattle Coffee Gear’s focus is simple - make coffee you love, wherever you may be. While so much of that happens in kitchens at home, our commercial team works closely with driven business owners across the country to find the equipment that will best fit their goals! Whether it’s a bookstore serving up a few dozen drinks a day or a high volume metropolitan café cranking out a couple hundred drinks a morning, our relatable and researched crew is helping baristas all over “make coffee your customers will love!” We know every business has a great backstory, and we’re excited to share a glimpse into these with a new ongoing blog feature called “Café Stories”.
Starting on the Eastern Seaboard, we begin with Native Coffee + Kitchen! Opened in the summer of 2017, Native is a “family-owned, locally sourced, chef-inspired, team-driven, and eco-conscious” dining space based in Rye, New Hampshire. We chatted with founder Josh Newman to get a better look at what sets this community centric space apart from other shops. Combining elements of homegrown recipes with a progressive coffee and kitchen menu sets Native apart!
Where is Rye, NH? What the heck is scrapple? Why the Rocket R9 over another espresso machine? Native Coffee + Kitchen Founder Josh Newman gives us the details below!
First and foremost, take me back to the initial conversations about Native. How did that come about? Was it something that had been brewing for a bit or just a strike of genius.It wasn’t until our local coffee shop closed down that we were energized to start our own business. We noticed a void in our community and realized the importance of having an independent café that truly caters and connects with their customers. As they say, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. My wife and I both share a passion for food and coffee, we appreciate flavor whether it be ethnic cuisines or single origin coffees. As parents with 2 young children, we also know the challenge in finding high quality coffee and food at the same establishment. This led us down the path of a fast casual restaurant with a 3rd wave coffee/tea service combined with a chef inspired menu. We were determined to create an environment where the whole family was comfortable and people of all ages and backgrounds felt welcome.
It’s clear that there is a deep connection between Native and its community. Tell me about about Rye, NH and how that’s affected Native.
For us, sustainability extends beyond the environmental impacts of running a business. It speaks to developing a sustainable relationship with our community, we owe it to our local customers to support their community. Native is blessed to be located on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. In addition to being surrounded by great history and tradition, we have a diverse and strong community. The New Hampshire Seacoast only accounts for 13 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, it is truly incredible place to live with a close-knit community. There is a shared value in our environment and outdoor activities with beautiful state parks and beaches, education, arts, and most importantly, helping others. At Native, we donate to various charities on a monthly basis whether it be food/beverages, gift cards or baskets. It is honestly the most rewarding part of the job.
You guys mention it a handful of times on your site - “Have a seat at the table.” It seems like that’s something bigger than just asking customers to come in for a bite. What’s the ethos behind that?
Living in seasonal area with many tourists and transients, retirees, young professionals, and families, we wanted to create an environment where everybody felt comfortable when they walked in the door. The space was designed to be open and bright, the seating is communal and there is also an outdoor area to roam for adults, little ones, and our four-legged friends. The food and drink menu is intended to be accessible and unpretentious. We know we can’t please everybody and constructive criticism is inevitable, but it just makes us determined to get better each day.
Native’s food offerings seems like a balance of local favorites with a healthy slant. How did you build out your menu?
The Native menu was created by our Executive Chef, Mike Piergrossi. Mike has a diverse background in fine dining including some of the best restaurants on the Seacoast. The Native menu reflects our shared values of local ingredients, sustainable methods, and simplicity. We offer an all-day breakfast menu including bowls and toasts, specialty sandwiches, salads, and soups/broths. We source all of our meat, dairy, and produce from local farms and have options for both carnivores and vegetarians. We have a very active customer base, we have guests who visit us after Crossfit, Surfing, Yoga, Cycling, and Hiking, so we know the importance of healthy and clean food. We also have an awesome kid’s menu with the basics using high quality ingredients like our French Toast shaped like sharks made from brioche and served with NH maple syrup and our Jr Native Burger made from house ground grass-fed beef brisket.
Situated in the middle of your bar is a beautiful, custom white Rocket R9! What made you chose that machine over others?
The R9 was the first piece of equipment we purchased and sat in my garage for about 2 months before it was ready for installation. It really became a focal point of our design and created a lot of excitement for our employees, vendors, and customers. Honestly, I was very close to buying a La Morzocco Linea PB when I visited SCG.com and learned about Rocket. I thought the R9 was visually stunning and spent a couple weeks researching the product and calling customer references. The combination of the sleek design, functionality, which was backed up by a really strong Rocket brand. Rocket’s association and support with cycling was also appealing as we have a very active cycling community and are located on a major cycling route. We feel Native is a unique concept, so we wanted an The Rocket R9 in action.