A Whole Latte Love At This Yakima Train Station Turned Coffeehouse
Listen
This coffeehouse in Yakima has it all. Great espresso, great ambience and great wifi.
North Town also has a constant line of wedding ceremonies.
Rosa Sanchez and Octavio Gutierrez sip their drinks on a recent snowy evening. And they’re a little giddy.
The couple is here with family, and Octavio jokes in Spanish, “Well we’re just here, out having a little coffee.”
It could be the caffeine or the fact they’re 10 minutes away from saying, ‘I do.’
The Event Room at North Town Coffeehouse in Yakima hosted 374 weddings in 2018. Civil ceremonies that would typically be performed at the Yakima County Courthouse are held here instead. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB
Rosa gets a little more serious and says they’re finally ready to make it official. Right on time, a courthouse judge shows up, and they go meet her at the Event Room, a corner section of the coffeehouse that was host to 374 weddings last year.
North Town sees a lot of sweethearts because the coffeehouse rents a room to Yakima County. Most of the civil ceremonies in the area are performed here instead of the courthouse. Every day from 5 p.m. onward, you can spot eager couples and sometimes entire wedding parties, complete with bouquets and white dresses. It’s a striking contrast to students looking for an empty seat, truckers making a pit stop, or visitors enjoying a quiet moment.
“I see at least two on weekdays, on the weekends we can have up to seven,” says Marlaina Cruz, a barista.
Despite the daily occurrence of seeing couples on all her shifts, there is one pair that’s moved Cruz to tears.
They were in their 1970s and actually met at North Town 50 years ago during a snowstorm. The two drove over from Seattle to celebrate their anniversary and show their kids the site where many of their dates took place.
Back then North Town was actually a train depot. Passenger service ended in 1971, but freight trains still go by several times a day. The railroad tracks are 30 feet from the station, so the sound is hard to miss, a reminder to customers of the station’s more historic days.
It’s just another quirk of this Central Washington coffee house — where caffeine, love and wedding vows are always brewing.
Copyright 2019 Northwest Public Broadcasting
Related Stories:
New hearing is scheduled for WA redistricting map case
A hearing before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington should help define the future of a Legislative District map in the Yakima Valley. Supporters say the redrawn map proposals could preserve the Latino vote but opponents say it could dilute the native vote. Continue Reading New hearing is scheduled for WA redistricting map case
Institutions to help students navigate new FAFSA application
Applications for federal student financial aid are open from now, through June. FAFSA recently launched its form 2024-25, which expands the eligibility criteria for federal student aid. Students and families can get some help understanding the process at several different places in Central Washington. Continue Reading Institutions to help students navigate new FAFSA application
COVID is far from over for some Latinos
The Yakima Valley was one of the hardest hit regions in the country during the COVID pandemic. Now, Hispanic and Latinos in the area are still dealing with symptoms. N-W-P-B’s Johanna Bejarano worked with Lygia Navarro, a journalist with palabra, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ media outlet. This is a collaborative piece about long COVID in Central Washington – the first in the series. Continue Reading COVID is far from over for some Latinos
