The Owl’s Nest Coffee and Pastries in Olympia: Above the Rest

helby Haggard stands in front of The Owl's Nest coffee shop in Olympia
Shelby Haggard stands in front of The Owl's Nest, where she creates scratch-made pastries, brews top-notch beverages, and creates a nurturing community for folks to come together. Photo credit: Heather Paladini
1.1K Share

The Owl’s Nest coffee and pastries in Olympia is a top-notch, curated experience. The vegan restaurant offers Olympia foodies a wonderful place to get together and enjoy foods they may normally have to pass up at other coffee shops. The owner, Shelby Haggard, wanted her downtown Olympia coffee shop to be a cut above the rest in terms of quality and ethics.

Olympia Coffee Shop Takes Flight

Shelby Haggard, came to Olympia about a year ago from Portland, Oregon, a Pacific Northwest native ready for a change from the big and busy city life. She was looking for a smaller, closer-knit community to ground herself in, and she found that in Olympia. Having worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years, she decided to branch out on her own and set up shop in the heart of Downtown Olympia. In the spring of 2022, The Owl’s Nest took root.

As a conscientious vegetarian who loves baking and coffee, Shelby wanted to offer a unique, custom experience with a personal touch that you just can’t get at bigtime coffee shops. High-quality, scratch-made pastries baked in-house and top-notch artisan drinks with the finest local and ethically-sourced vegan ingredients, delivered with exceptional customer service are what you’ll find at The Owl’s Nest.

Coffee and Pastries in Pacific Northwest Flavors

vegan pastries at The Owl's Nest, a coffee shop in Olympia
Who cooks for you? The Owl’s Nest, that’s who! Shelby is always creating something here, and whether it’s sweet or savory, you can be sure it’s exquisitely crafted with Pacific Northwest vegan ingredients and a personal touch that can only be found here. Photo credit: Shelby Haggard

Shelby brews ethically-sourced coffee from Trailhead Coffee Roasters in Portland; teas, chai, and flavor syrups from woman-owned Metolius Teas in Bend, Oregon and Holy Kakow in Portland; and kombucha from Portland-based Happy Mountain Kombucha. She sells granola from Alpine Goods of North Bend, Washington, and sources all other ingredients locally, using organic wherever possible. All baked goods are vegan and baked from scratch by Shelby, who also offers gluten free options. The Owl’s Nest offers an array of vegan milks for their drink menu, and of course dairy for those who prefer it.

Sweet treats like Vermont maple syrup and pecan scones, carrot cake muffins, and salted tahini chocolate chip cookies grace the menu, as well as savory scones and biscuits with mushroom or miso gravy – all vegan, some gluten free. Unique flavor combinations such as cardamom and grapefruit are something you’ll find only at this coffee shop in Olympia. The offerings change from day to day, but the quality never wanes.

The Owl’s Nest: An Olympia Coffee Shop That Cares

The Owl’s Nest cares deeply about our planet, and has been green from the start: it has a green business certification and is a Surfrider-certified Ocean Friendly cafe, a certification awarded to conscientious businesses that recycle, compost, limit their plastic usage, and make sustainable choices such as using energy-efficient equipment. Shelby is a lover of marine life, and her business values reflect that. The Owl’s Nest recognizes that from the trees to the seas, we are all connected.

Shelby loves to support local artists, and plans to regularly feature art in her shop, with a special focus on women and BIPOC artists. Photo credit: Heather Paladini and Shelby Haggard

She is also committed to her community. Situated on a block on Capitol where all the businesses are owned and run by women, such as Browsers Book Shop and The Brotherhood, Shelby finds herself in good company. She reaches out to connect with her neighbors and hopes to have a block party in the future and collaborate on future community events.

Already Shelby is taking a supportive role in the community, connecting with local and regional women and BIPOC artists and small businesses, featuring their artwork, jewelry, and goods in her cafe. For example, beautiful pressed botanical artwork by Negheen of Wander & Press, a Seattle-based artist. Also featured in the cafe are Lila & Luna earrings handmade in Olympia, and a local tarot card reader on occasion.

She would especially love to feature indigenous art in the Owl’s Nest. As a member of the Mono Tribe in the Sierra Nevada, California, Shelby recognizes the importance of acknowledging and honoring local heritage and culture. Interested artists can contact Shelby via email, or just walk in and say hi! Shelby is passionate about building community and nurturing one another, especially women and BIPOC in the arts and small business community because it’s not easy – it takes a village.

In the five months since its opening, Shelby has also started a small writing group that currently meets at The Brotherhood across the street on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. All are welcome to join. Folks come together to write for an hour, whatever their style, and then share at will with the group. The Owl’s Nest envisions not only high-quality coffee and pastries, but a cozy community that fosters a thriving local creative scene that is welcoming and inclusive to all.

Learn more by visiting The Owl’s Nest website.

The Owl’s Nest
116 Capitol Way N, Olympia
360-584-9085

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
1.1K Share