From Woodinville Works:

I don’t have anything against big chain operations (really, how would I live without Target?), but I kind of like stories about little independents besting them, or at least finding success in their shadows. Mercurys Coffeeis that kind of story.

In a town with three Starbucks, Mercurys not only survives, it thrives. Since opening his first coffee stand in Woodinville in 1998, Morgan Mercury Harris has expanded the operation to five drive-thrus – two in Woodinville, two in Redmond and one in Fall City. Plans are in the works for a sixth location.

So, to what does Harris attribute Mercurys success? “Customer service,” he says, adding that’s what “bridges the gap” between the big coffee operators and the independents. “We’re all about the customer.”

Harris defines customer service at Mercurys broadly: a wide range of products, high quality and consistency. However, what he feels really sets Mercurys apart are the people who work in the shops. “Without our dedicated team of great employees we wouldn’t have the level of customer service and personal experience that we have. Without that, the rest of the positive points really wouldn’t matter much.”

According to Harris, he and general manager Jessica Berg are “extremely picky” when hiring, adding that they will interview 20-40 applicants to fill just a few barista spots. Once hired, new employees spend several days learning the basics from Berg before being paired with more experienced baristas for additional training.

Harris designs his shops with the customer experience in mind, too. At the newest location, on NE Woodlinville-Duvall Road, baristas walk out sliding glass doors to deliver drinks rather than handing them out of windows. The intent is to make the coffee-buying experience “as personal as it can possibly be and still be a drive-thru.”

Harris believes Mercurys offers a better product, as well as a better experience. “Our coffee blows theirs away,” he says, comparing Mercurys drinks to Starbucks. “If you’re really a coffee connoisseur, you’re not going to Starbucks,” he adds.

Mercurys offers an extensive menu of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks, a wide array of blended drinks and a few other goodies like chocolate coffee beans and bakery items. The coffee, Mercurys special blend, is all organic and free-trade; the milk is all free of artificial growth hormone. Soy, rice and organic milk are available, as are a number of organic or sugar-free flavors. “No matter who you are or what you want,” we have it, says Harris.

A lot of thought and care goes in to making sure that latte you get when you go to a Mercurys is always the same, and always top-notch. Harris has equipped his shops with traditional, fully-manual espresso machines, and with grinders that tamp the coffee with a precise 30 pounds of pressure. Timers on the espresso machines measure how long it takes to extract a shot – too long or too short and “it doesn’t go in your drink,” says Harris.

If you’re not happy with your Mercurys experience – or if you are – Harris wants to know about it. He has a comment line (425-481-4511), and encourages customers to use it. “It’s nice to hear accolades but it’s really more helpful to get complaints,” he says.

Oh… if you’re wondering, Harris’ middle name did serve as inspiration for the company name. But, he insists, he didn’t name the shop after himself. “I wouldn’t have called it Morgan’s Coffee,” he laughs, adding that he thought the name would be memorable and he liked the imagery offered by the Roman messenger to the gods.

Maybe the name is fitting in another way. Harris, and Mercurys seem to have a message for the big coffee shop operators in the area: Watch out.

About this column: Woodinville Works runs every Monday and spotlights local businesses and the people who work at them. Related Topics: Mercurys Coffee, Small Business, Target, espresso stand, and mercurys coffee co.