By Kathy Cook Hunter
Star and Greg Hart danced around one another in careful teamwork behind the counter at Silver Creek Coffee House.
Owners of the espresso shop since January, the couple has made some changes and have planned additional ones.
A major change is a switch to Long Bottom coffee and smoothie mixes.
“They have helped us out so much,” said Greg, explaining the shop has a brand-new, professional-level espresso machine supplied to them by Long Bottom at its cost. Long Bottom threw in a price board for the wall, too.
The coffee beans are high-end quality, Greg said, and they’ve had good response to the quality from customers.
“People come in and they’re just overwhelmed with how good it is,” he said.
There’s something of a new look inside. Art works, some of them Italian-locale coffee posters created by the Long Bottom owner, others local artists’ paintings brought in by Silverton Art Association, line the walls.
Star creates window displays around the season or events happening in Silverton.
“We’re in the process of getting everything done, step-by-step,” Greg said. The small kitchen was rebuilt and improved, and in the future they hope to replace the flooring and tables.
From Molalla, the Harts have a varied background: She was a homemaker and home-school mother most recently, but has a background in customer service; he retired from a longtime job with Kaiser Permanente as a head housekeeper.
“This is something I never dreamed would happen to me,” Star said, “but Greg had a doughnut shop-café in the past. It’s exciting.”
Coffee and chai tea drinks, smoothies and more are available, including ice cream or shake flavors as well as a variety of blended drinks. There’s a “Soup of the Day” and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there’s clam chowder or biscuits and gravy.
At lunchtime out comes the homemade potato salad prepared by Star’s mother, Patty Moss, to accompany sandwiches of sourdough bread and a choice of meat and cheese, all for $5.50. For one dollar more a hungry person can enjoy a vegetable sauté on the side.
As summer draws closer the menu will increase. The plan is to serve various hot sandwiches and a chef’s salad.
The pastry and bread case spotlights sweets, such as their homemade cookies and several varieties of bagels. Silver Creek Coffee House is open daily in May 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Suummer hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. an Sundays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kevin Cobb at Howard Hinsdale’s Wine Cellar & Bistro next door praised the Harts for how they’ve taken over the former Hinsdale-owned espresso shop and how things are working between them.
“Howard and I both feel very blessed to have Greg and Star and their families,” Cobb said. “We share space, and…that kind of thing can be a recipe for disaster.”
Customer service is important to the Harts. “My main goal is to be able to get everything right for everyone who comes in the door and have them come back,” Greg said.
