The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Scones and cappuccino are staples at Red Rock Coffee Company.

Red Rock Coffee brews the quintessential '90s product

By Katherine Petersen

Dan Ecklund went from milking cows to steaming milk with an espresso machine when he opened the first Red Rock Coffee Company in Mountain View eight years ago. Ecklund and partner Chris Somers opened a second store in Sunnyvale in July 1994, which boasts the same eclectic atmosphere and strong coffee.

Brewing coffee is quite a change of pace from Eklund's previous work, when he performed odd jobs such as digging foundations, pounding roofing nails and even milking cows to earn a paycheck.

But he and Somers, whose shops are usually populated with regular customers, like Red Rock's position as a mom-and-pop operation and have no big dreams of becoming a corporate giant.

"We love being in a historic district and not in a strip mall," Somers said. "We're sort of a fallback. We're not a '90s type of place, but we provide a '90s product."

Red Rock's simple white walls are dotted with paintings, created by customers who are local artists, including a picture of flowers reminiscent of Picasso, a pear on a stump and one with the line "What a long strange drip it's bean" written on it.

"I love the customers who come in here," said Jamie Balga, who can be found working behind Red Rock's counter almost every morning. "They're not trendy; they just know and appreciate good, strong coffee."

Red Rock purchases its coffee beans, pastries, muffins and scones from local roasters and bakers.

"We buy from about 10 different bakers because most of them make one or two good things," Somers said. "You get a cookie guy who makes wonderful cookies, but the muffins aren't as good. It's a lot more work for us, but we have better-quality products because we pick and choose."

Red Rock offers more than 20 varieties of caffeinated coffee and eight types of decaf, Somers said. Longtime customers who've moved away ask to have Red Rock's beans shipped to them in Florida, Maine and Washington, Balga added.

Rather than sell the usual soft drinks, like Pepsi and Coke, Red Rock's refrigerator is stocked with off-the-wall drinks like Wiman's juices and Fukola. Wiman's drinks include Positively Protein, Capital C and Green Wonder with blue-green algae. Fukola, a highly caffeinated soda, has names such as Rat Bastard and Brain Wash.

Balga said the sodas and juices sell fairly well, but many customers stick with the coffee drinks.

As a car drove up and she recognized a regular customer, Balga ended the interview and got to work steaming up froth for the top of his cappuccino.

Red Rock Coffee Company, 100 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sat., 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, November 12, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.