SPOKANE, Wash. — A little over a year ago, a Spokane man was serving coffee on his front porch. Now he is about to open a new location in Browne’s Addition.
KREM 2 introduced you to Ladder Coffee in North Spokane located near Mead High School at 603 W. Hastings Road. It was a tiny shop then with humble beginnings.
“It started with about 20 people just kind of trickling in every weekend, to about the third or fourth week, to about 120,” owner Aaron Rivkin said.
“We found a little eight-by-eight shack, repainted it and made it look more modern,” he continued.
A little more than a year after the first porch gathering, Rivkin can see his dream wrapped in brick exterior at 1516 West Riverside Avenue in Browne’s Addition.
“Browne’s Addition is on the cusp of being restored back to what it used to be. We just want to bring vitality and life back into Browne’s Addition,” Rivkin said.
Rivkin wants most of the inside of his new shop to remain unseen until opening day but he is willing to give some details.
“Our entryway is super fun. We really wanted to create a space as soon as you walk in. We wanted that wow factor and a place that you could just be kind of like at home,” he said. “Also, there’s a cool laptop bar that has a viewing window in our roastery room, which is what we are in right now.”
The new shop will also serve more than coffee.
“Being a two-time felon, ex-heroin addict, it’s been a long life ladder for me to climb for where I am at today,” Rivkin said. “One of the things that we want to do is equip people to be able to climb their ladder of life and help them put rungs into their ladder, whether that’s giving them a job or helping elevate them to a different standard of living.”
Rivkin said he hopes to host the grand opening by the second week of November. If you enjoyed their toast before, the shop is also expanding its toast menu.
The location will also have a back location for students to study and a balcony with a view of the river.