It’s been close to a year and a half since the drive-thru coffee shop just off Mount Hermon Road changed ownership, and the improvements are more and more noticeable.
What used to simply be a coffee drive-thru shack has turned into Heather’s Made to Go, a full-service coffee shop that serves everything from a nonfat vanilla latte to a fine selection of unusual teas, breakfast burritos and Corralitos Market sausage sandwiches.
But it’s still a work in progress for owner Heather Thordarson-Bening, who found her newfound work a respite, following a divorce and the full-time care of her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
“This is a really fun thing I’m doing,” Thordarson-Bening said.
Her story is a good one.
For years, she owned Icelandic Crest Horse Ranch in Los Gatos, where she sold beautiful Icelandic horses. After a divorce, however, she sold her home and moved to Felton and commuted to San Jose for work. Then, three years ago, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It turned out she needed a caregiver, and working in San Jose while her mother stayed in Felton proved impractical.
“I tried to commute, but it didn’t work,” Thordarson-Bening said.
Instead, she took classes in the culinary program at Cabrillo College to pursue one of the things she loved: preparing food.
“It gave me the power to do what I want to do,” she said. “I just love Cabrillo.”
One day, she stopped in at Joe on the Go, the coffee shack on Mount Hermon Road, and told the owner that if he ever wanted to sell, she was interested. Within a week, he called back, and negotiations began. In February 2010, Thordarson-Bening opened the business as Heather’s Made to Go. Today, an extensive remodel — including an outdoor seating area and all new floors — complements a menu that includes smoothies, such as the green “Popeye Smoothie,” a banana-and-spinach-based drink that kids love, Thordarson-Bening said.
The shop sells Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co. coffee and has recently picked up a tea line from the East Coast with 20 unusual flavors. Other offerings are pastries from Kelly’s Bakery, Corralitos Sausage sandwiches, Marianne’s Ice Cream and more. The store welcomes phone-ahead ordering and will soon have an online system to let customers order food and drinks via the Internet.
The store has not yet turned a consistent profit, but Thordarson-Bening is confident 2011 will be the year it happens.
Helping in the shop is Thordarson-Bening’s daughter, Elise Thordarson, who works as a barista, along with five other locals. The store’s policy is to make sure each cup of coffee is made to the customer’s delight.
“You don’t mess with anybody’s coffee,” Thordarson-Bening said. “If you do, you lose a customer.”
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Heather’s Made to Go
WHERE: 75 Mount Hermon Road in Scotts Valley
INFO: 440-9546
