New coffee stand offers hot and cold refreshers with family-friendly service

Customers are rolling up in increasing numbers at the new Peninsula Perk coffee stand in Purdy.

Sean Watson became frustrated with inconsistency of hours and product availability at the coffee stand in Purdy. The Gig Harbor realtor, who also does a lot of sales on the Key Peninsula, decided to take action and open a new latté stand that would provide quality service and meet consumer demands.

Watson and business partner Dave Morris, also of Gig Harbor, worked on the project for one year. The custom building took six months.

They use a local roaster, Cutter’s Point in Gig Harbor. Seven employees keep things running smoothly.

“We have a great staff,” Watson said. “It’s doing really well. From day one, I’ve heard how much the local businesses and customers appreciate having a family-friendly business. We have a lot of customers, serving at least 120 cars a day. Lots of vacation properties on the Key Peninsula are a big factor in summertime. We have no problem with traffic.”

Watson is involved with daily operation and does deliveries himself. “I am so grateful for support from the Key Peninsula,” he said. “People thank us for being here. I get feedback on Facebook and in person.”

“I’ve worked here since day one,” barista Janice Talkington of Lakebay said. “I love this job. It’s so great here. It’s awesome. A lot of regulars we know on a first-name basis. They come from all over the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor. Kids and teachers come during school. The kids get frappes and smoothies at lunch. Everyone says it’s a great location.”

“I used to work at Sodexo at Weyerhaeuser,” Talkington said. “I ran the café and espresso bar. They trained me how to pull shots and make different coffees. There are usually two of us working here at a time. We interact with our customers. This is the best job I ever had, and Sean is such a nice person to work for,” she said.

“They’re real good community people,” said Jim Lince, owner of the nearby Gentleman Jim’s Barber Shop and Beauty Supply. “They have real good coffee.”

“Their coffee is great,” said Trevor Jones of Local Boys Fruit stand.

They serve hot and cold drinks including lattés, frappuccinos, Italian ices and fruit smoothies.

Peninsula Perk is located in the Purdy shopping center. Hours are  Monday-Friday 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.