Though the Roasted Bean in
Santa Ynez has always been a hub of coffee-related
activity in the small town, its new owner, Trace Eubanks, is adding items to
the menu and striving to make the shop a true center for the community.
Though Eubanks has only
owned the Roasted Bean for a few weeks, the inside is much changed, with new
equipment and embellishments. Currently, red, white and blue streamers line the
walls in anticipation of Independence Day.
Students free for the summer
sip smoothies while the usual crowd enjoys their caffeinated brews.
One patron notes the changes
and tells the barista, “It’s nice and bright and light; it looks good.”
Though Eubanks says his
favorite drink is the espresso, he is coffee-less at the moment.
This former L.A. County
fireman has owned several businesses in the valley in the past, but the Roasted
Bean is on a more personal level for the family man.
He uses the coffee shop as a
typical haunt during his day, and with his efforts to make the Roasted Bean
more kid friendly — with the additions of shaved ice and soda fountain
drinks — he hopes more valley people can find the same refuge in the shop
that he does.
The Journal visited with Trace Eubanks to find out a
little more about the business.
SYVJ: Why did you start this business?
TE: I
guess I just wanted to be part of a business that offers a wide range of
refreshments in a hometown atmosphere. I’ve been partial to this Roasted Bean
because it’s always been a part of the community hub. I call it my third place
because I have home, I have work and I have here. I would like everybody else
in the community to enjoy the same thing.
SYVJ: What is your educational background?
TE: I have
an associate’s degree in fire science because I am retired L.A. County
firefighter.
SYVJ: What is your business background?
TE: I
actually have owned three businesses in Solvang in the past, and I am also
still the producer of the Peppertree Art Show for 10 years.
SYVJ: What is the best piece of business advice you
have been given, and who gave it to you?
TE: Customer
service. The main thing that I’m focusing on that I think is paramount for a
successful business is quality, consistency, and customer service. That’s what
my main objective is for the Roasted Bean. I’ve heard it mostly from community
input, the community informing me of what they’d like to see from the
establishment from in town.
And I enjoy being in a
social environment where you see all your friends every day. It’s fun to see
people meet and greet; I’ve seen everything from business meetings to reunions
to first dates. It’s fun.
SYVJ: What is the biggest challenge your business
faces today?
TE: I
think in today’s age, you should have an entity that the focus is on quality
that should set you apart from everyone else. And customer
service. We’ve replaced and upgraded every piece of equipment in the
Roasted Bean to produce the highest quality products. To make our establishment
more kid friendly, we’ve introduced shaved ice and fountain sodas.
SYVJ: What is the simplest thing you’ve never learned
to do?
TE: Swing
a golf club correctly.
SYVJ: What sets your business apart from your
competitors’?
TE:
Organic. All of our coffee, tea and smoothies are organic. In other words,
coffee and tea are the most chemically treated agriculture products you can
buy. In every brew that you buy from larger coffee houses, you’re ingesting
pesticides.
Green Star Coffee is the
only roasting company I could find that was 100 percent organic
and free trade. They’re a local company established in Goleta. They’re great,
they’re local and they buy the best beans they can find. They’re very picky.
SYVJ: What books are on your bedside table?
TE:
(Laughing) Jordano’s catalogues. They’re the
supplier.
SYVJ: Why did you choose to set up your business in
the valley?
TE: When
it was first established in ’97 by (the original owner), I thought he was
crazy, and now I understand the importance of having an establishment for
people to come get away from life’s daily challenges and have an establishment
where you can put your feet up and relax.
SYVJ: Where do you see your business in five years?
TE: Recognized
for its quality but also recognized for its own talent
and as a community gathering venue.
SYVJ: Finally, what is on your to-do list?
TE:
Currently the business is really new to me, and like any business you start,
you have a lot of areas you’re trying to fine tune and that’s what I’m working
on right now to fine tune the establishment so it runs smoothly and
competitively. There’s a lot of fine coffee houses in
town. They’re really nice, so I feel like there’s a triangular spot, and we’re
part of the triangular spot: Coffee Cabin in Buellton, Coffee Corner in Los Olivos and Roasted Bean here. It’s kind of like a family.
Reach Lauren Crecelius at lcrecelius@syvjournal.com.
Business name: Roasted Bean
Owner: Trace Eubanks
Business address: 3558 Sagunto St #
A, Santa Ynez
Business telephone: 688-7194
Business hours: Monday – Saturday, 6
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sundays, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.