Mother Nature’s takes on espresso stand

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NEHALEM – Fans of Mother Nature’s Natural Foods espresso no longer have to get out of their automobile or off their bicycle to buy a cup.

Jan and Dan Dawson, who own Manzanita’s Mother Nature’s, recently purchased Laramie’s Coffee Barn, a drive-through espresso stand in Nehalem.

Re-christened Hugo’s, the stand changed hands in January.

“This is an extension of what we’re already doing in the health food store,” said Dan Dawson. “We offer organic, fair-trade espresso and baked goods. We offer an oat cake that is organic and nutritional. It’s a meal by itself.”

Taking on the espresso stand allows the Dawsons to offer more full-time work to their employees. “We’re not a charitable organization, but we try to look out for people,” said Dan Dawson.

As for the name, “I’ve always had a very strong interest in Victor Hugo and his work,” said Dawson. The author of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Hugo was “born in the very early part of the 1800s and lived almost a full century,” he added.

The Dawsons are planning a few changes at Hugo’s in the months ahead. “Eventually, we’ll have Pie Friday, when you’ll be able to pick up a slice or a whole pie at the drive-through,” said Dan Dawson.

Hugo’s is located off U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Nehalem.