Published September 2005

Coffeehouse has music,
food, fun

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT Kathy Jacobson and her family have created a popular coffeehouse with wi-fi Internet service, Italian sodas, pastries and performances by local musicians.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Want to find good music, cups of fresh roasted, organic, fair trade coffee, espresso drinks, organic teas, panini-grilled sandwiches, soups, 50 flavors of Italian sodas, smoothies, home-baked muffins and scones, pastries and wi-fi Internet service all in one place?

That’s what the Wired and Unplugged Internet Coffeehouse offers at 717 First Street in Snohomish, where Rick and Kathy Jacobson have created a 21st Century high-tech version of the 1960s-vintage coffeehouses known for their coffee, food, relaxing environment and varied music performances.

“I’ve always wanted to create a place where people could hear a lot of talented young musicians who couldn’t play in bars, a place for people to go to relax,” Kathy said.

When she found there was space available in one of downtown Snohomish’s older, full-of-character buildings, she decided it was an opportunity she didn’t want to miss.

“All of the music, the coffee and organic everything just came together perfectly. We get our coffee from a small roaster in Mountlake Terrace, Brown & Co. People drop in to work on their computers here and we’ve become a haven for music groups in the area who have been wanting to find a place like ours,” she said. “People even tell us it reminds them of the Seattle coffeehouses in the ’60s.”

Part of her success comes from the layout of the business, with espresso, a food counter, tables and a wall full of guitars in one room and the adjacent music room set aside for entertainment.

In a corner filled with microphones and a piano, she has spotlights and stools for the performers, more amenities than many coffeehouses ever had. The musicians love it, the crowds love it and bills and coins fill up tip cups for the music makers.

“It’s not background music. People come to relax and hear various groups and enjoy them. Friday nights are very popular with our open mike performances. Then, on Saturday nights, we book music groups for the evening, often from the best of the Friday night open mike groups,” she said.

Many musicians have adopted the coffeehouse as their own and even sell their CDs there. People from all over the community drop in throughout the week.

Rick, who works on computer networks at Boeing, designed and built the business’ Web site (www.wiredandunplugged.com) and contributed stunning musician photos for the walls of the coffeehouse.

“A lot of friendships are made here. Rory Corbin, a musician who hosted our open mike for a year, gave us a lot of great advice about musicians and the retail world. Then Peter Ali and Tammy Kennedy became regulars with their Native American flute music,” she said.

Her coffeehouse venture is a world away from the law firm where she once worked in Seattle but for her it’s the best of all worlds, she said.

Back to the top/September 2005 Main Menu