Sisters open coffee shop at Vista Park

Nicole Burkhalter and Rachel Katyryniuk are bringing coffee to Skamokawa. Their business, Ship Channel Coffee, is located in a new food cart at Vista Park and the two are just about ready for their opening day this Friday.

Sisters, they belie the 13 years difference in ages with a close family bond, a value instilled in them by their parents Terry and Kim Tarabochia. Though they, along with a brother, grew up in the Grays River area and attended school in Naselle, there has always been a great attachment to the expansive park on the other side of KM Mountain.

Looking for something they could do together and sharing a love for coffee and its culture, they decided to go into business together, and they've brought the whole family into it. Dad suggested the location, and the husbands volunteered to design and build the food cart.

Katyryniuk's husband retrofitted the cart, which was purchased bare bones, in just a couple weeks. He tackled the project after work with some help from Burkhalter's husband when he had time.

"It's incredible what he did in there," Katyryniuk said. "He's very much a perfectionist."

They are committed to spending the season, May 15 until September 15, at Vista Park, and the nature of having a cart on wheels allows them options in the colder months. They may put it in storage, but

they could also move the cart to another location or set it up for special events.

"We've worked in coffee stands in Naselle," Katyryniuk said. "The job is fun. The job is happy. We've been daydreaming about another coffee shop for a while. You build relationships over coffee. When people are coming to get a coffee, they are usually happy and anxious to see you. I believe that your customer service and your product is what is going to keep them coming back."

Ship Channel Coffee will use a new roast called Jonny Tsunami from Columbia River Coffee Roaster in Astoria.

"It's our favorite and it will be fun to introduce," Burkhalter said. "I keep telling people how good our coffee tastes."

Along with their coffee, they will sell tea, including chai tea. They will have smoothies and italian sodas, as well as ice cream cones, shakes and root beer floats. Customers will also be able to purchase baked goods.

They will be open from 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

"It will be nice to have something like this in Skamokawa," Katyryniuk said. "We're very excited to get to meet the locals."