Coffee still the same at Soap Lake hotspot

SOAP LAKE - There's still furniture to sit on in the Soap Lake spot formerly known as the Caffeine Couch, but for the moment it's not for sale.

New owner Ron Vanderpool plans to sell furniture in the newly renamed Van's, still located at 112 S. Daisy St., as soon as possible, but says he must go through the proper processes in order to do so.

Vanderpool took over the business Aug. 1.

"I was looking at other business opportunities and I'd been in here a few times, and really liked the building and liked what they'd done with it, been very impressed," he said. "When it came up for sale, just figured, this time in my life, it was time to do something like this, and it seemed like the right thing to do."

The previous owners of the business are no longer connected to it, Vanderpool noted.

"Just as a customer," he said.

But Vanderpool said he is trying to expand upon their premise, with some slight changes inside to reflect his desired look. The food menu is also expanding.

"Trying just to expand on what they had, and go a little further than that," he said.

Vanderpool said it would have cost more to purchase the Caffeine Couch name, part of a franchise, and his manager Madeline Heutink decided a variation of his last name, Van's, would be good for the Dutch-Bavarian motif they plan to go with for the business.

"It sounded good, and everyone thought it was a great name," Vanderpool said. "Simple."

Vanderpool was born in Seattle, the second baby born at Northwest Hospital, he says, and moved to Coulee City in 1987 to start a business, which he ran for 10 years. He sold that business and got into selling houses and flipping them. He recently moved from the Coulee City area into Ephrata.

Vanderpool said he hasn't received any negative comments from the community since taking over the business.

The Caffeine Couch employed four workers, while Van's employs six. Vanderpool said he hired two trainers to show his workers the coffee ropes.

"With the influx and the changes in Grant County and everything, I know it's a growing county," he said. "I see a better clientele here than most businesses because it appeals to a certain type of people. You're not going to get derelicts off the road; as people come in, they want a relaxing atmosphere, have a good meal, drink a good cup of coffee. So that's basically where we're coming at; I see it growing in that aspect."

Heutink is looking forward to adding the furniture, which she said customers want, and adding more food and gifts.

"We just want it to be a memorable place," she said.

"Our future plan is expanding as needed in all aspects," Vanderpool said. "I think it will only grow. With time and patience, I do believe the business is just going to grow in every aspect, and we're taking in all suggestions that sound logical. We want to keep it, I wouldn't say upscale snobby, but a little more than average. Kind of hit a happy medium. That's the whole idea behind business; you want to keep improving it."

Van's is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 509-246-1749.