A coffee shop in Olympia is beginning to have a big effect on the community. Kim and David Durbin, owners of Rhythms Coffee, opened their doors to coffee lovers, musicians and poets. Their debut on the 200 block of Fourth Street is a hit, and people are gathering to enjoy musical performances and to take part in a nonjudgmental atmosphere where everyone can have a good time.
Olympia Coffee Shop’s Comfortable Atmosphere Welcomes All
A trip to Milwaukie, Wisconsin turned out to be pivotal in the creation of Rhythms Coffee. After happening upon a cozy, mom-and-pop coffee shop, the Durbins were won over by the idea of creating the same space back home in Olympia.
Both longtime residents, they felt moved by what they were hearing about downtown Olympia. “We thought, ‘Somebody has got to do something about downtown Olympia,” David says. “This is the capital of the coolest state in the country. And we thought, ‘What if we do something? What if we were one of the people who do something?’”
And that is exactly what they did. The Durbins found available space in the Angelus building and used David’s experience as a general contractor for the interior remodel. They wanted to create a place just like that comfortable Milwaukie coffee shop where the customers, including the Durbins, immediately felt like they could settle in and hang out. They created a positive vibe in a comfortable atmosphere for all to come and enjoy coffee and company.
Olympia Musicians Connecting and Inspiring Others
Nearly every night, the stage is booked. Monday is open-mic night. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are lined up with live music. Wednesday and Sunday are quiet, and the second Tuesday of the month is open-mic poetry. Musicians have been reaching out to Rhythms through their Instagram, and many are walking in the front door to inquire.
“Their sets can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours if they want,” Kim says. “We’re super open. The cool thing about this place is that there are three levels to it. Scheduled music is when people send in their music to us, and we decide if it’s a good fit for our space. Then we schedule them. Open mic is completely different from the scheduled. Then, there are people who walk in during the day. If there’s nobody playing, and there’s space and time, they can come up and ask us, ‘Can I play a song or play the piano?’ and we say, ‘Yes, please.’”
Music and Coffee Bring Olympians Together
Being open to a wide range of skill levels and musical performance experience, including first timers, brings in a diverse and eager crowd. Nationally touring performers such as Gayle Skidmore and Minor Birds have taken the stage and so have high schoolers. And musicians are seeing the coffee shop as more than just a play to play, but to create music as well. “Several times, especially recently,” says David, “we’re starting to see strangers that are musicians that are now writing songs together, forming groups, practicing songs or giving each other tips and ideas.”
One of the growing demographics is young musicians because they find a welcoming and judgement-free platform. “Olympia has got so much talent,” David says. “There are musicians crawling out of the woodwork, and they need a place to be heard and a place to be listened to. That’s what happens when we get 30 people in here and everyone is silent, just listening to the musicians performing, and the whole focus is on them…It’s a true intimate music moment.”
Customers relax with Italian espressos, sit close to performers and really focus on the live music. “That’s one of the things we hear a lot about from our musicians who play here, that they haven’t been in a space where people listened,” Kim says. “There’s no alcohol for people to get rowdy. People get their coffee early. They sit down and get their seat, and they are intent on them.”
Blossom Coffee, Bread Peddler Treats and Art with a Personal Touch
From floor to ceiling, it’s all about music, coffee and comfort. A flashy neon guitar pic sign hangs in the window, a beacon designed by Kim. The upright 1889 piano, a must on their list of café items, came to them by way of their personal piano tuner. Scan the mural of curvy font above the piano that depicts the punk rock Lagwagon lyrics to “Mr. Coffee,” painted by David’s former co-worker who does calligraphy. Opposite the lyrics, near the small stage is a technicolor mural, a collaborative piece by David and Kim’s daughter Alyson and her friend. Kim and David covered the restroom walls in magazine pages and hung their own vinyl albums on the café walls along with posters nabbed at a serendipitous sale in Seattle.
Drinks and desserts are from the area too. Coffee and tea are from Blossom Coffee, a Vashon Island family business. Snacks are from the Bread Peddler, and Rhythms is using their own house-made syrups.
Customers have been thankful about Rhythms not only being open, open early, and open late, but also about bringing the music to the masses and often expressing that, “Olympia needs you guys.”
“We’re in the moment, enjoying this for sure,” David says. “I think the future is to increase the awareness of this place and its importance to Olympia.”
Rhythms Coffee
210 4th Avenue W, Olympia
360.706.2717
