Silver Creek: Coffee and Crepes

By Nancy Jennings

Fate reveals itself to us in many different ways. For Silverton resident Elisha Nightingale, it showed up on Craigslist.

“It was a Sunday morning and I was on Craig’s List just searching for things for sale in Silverton. I was looking for a compost bin and some big garden planters,” she said.

Within a few seconds, Elisha saw the business pop up. She immediately texted her husband at work and told him the Silver Creek Coffee House was for sale. They checked out the coffee house as customers and loved the location and atmosphere. Elisha loved her job as activities and development director at Willamette Valley Christian School in Salem. Taking over a business was the last thing on her mind.

But the purchase wrapped up at the end of April and Elisha, 35, became the new owner of the oldest original coffee house in downtown Silverton.

In July her husband, Joshua, 36, resigned as manager at the Silverton Safeway and joined Elisha in early August.

“We thought we have to do it. We’re going to regret it if we don’t. It was very much meant to be,” Elisha said.

Married for 16 years, the Nightingales moved to Silverton just over a year ago from Salem. Their daughter, Jaden, 15, pitches in at the coffee house when she can. She is their “star employee of the summer.”

Former owners Paul and Amber Kethley moved back to Arizona after over two years of running the espresso machine.

“In the past it’s been such a heartbeat of the community so I’d love for it to become that rejuvenated heartbeat,” Elisha said.

Longbottom Coffee & Tea from Hillsboro provides their organic hot-air roasted coffee. Organic whole leaf tea is also on hand.

Their drink menu, called the Mural Menu, is artfully suspended on a vintage-style door.  Paying homage to some of Silverton’s murals, it offers such specialties as “The Astronaut,” “The Lumbermill,” “City of the Falls,” “The Mammoth” and “The Gallon House.” Their cards beckon to come and enjoy “Coffee & Crepes on the Creek.”

“My family and I love crepes. We’ve done some traveling. We’ve been to Europe…and that good crepe and a good cup of coffee is hard to beat. And there’s nowhere in Silverton that offers crepes, so to bring something unique and different was a huge advantage,” Elisha said.

The updated menu offers a fresher, lighter fare. Seasonal items are available, and fresh produce is provided from the farmer’s market. Fall features homemade soups and breads from Silver Falls Bakery. Gluten-free crepes and pastries are available on request.

Black and white photos of Silverton’s murals adorn the walls. The atmosphere is cozy and family friendly, with board games and toys. A row of vintage swiveling bar stools invites visitors to sit and chat. “I think a good coffee shop can be a lot like a bar where people come and feel familiar, welcomed and wanted,” Joshua said.

They renovated the outside deck this summer. Customers can savor their coffee taking in the tranquility of Silver Creek.

What is it like to become your own boss?

“I have likened it to becoming a parent. In every way, yes, it’s dreamy and fantastic, but it’s hard work,” Elisha said. “We are working 12-15 hours a day, seven days a week. You don’t turn it off.”

In one word, what does Elisha like the most about living in Silverton?

“Community.”