Mike and Susie Margotta (and pup Riley), at left, have purchased Hood River Coffee Roasters from founder and owner Peggy Thompson, right.
Trisha Walker photo
After three years of looking for the perfect buyers, Peggy Thompson, founder and owner of Hood River Coffee Roasters, has sold the business to Mike and Susie Margotta of Birmingham, Ala. She’s spent the past three months helping the Margottas with the transition.
“A lot of people were interested (in purchasing the business), but nobody fit what I was hoping for,” Thompson said. “Mike and Susie fit — their strength is that they divide and conquer. They have a beautiful plan that will allow them to keep thing generally as they have been; the community won’t notice a huge shift. But they will take this little business and make it recognizable here and beyond.
“I couldn’t be happier that Mike and Susie fell out of the sky,” she said.
While this will be Mike Margotta’s fourth business, it’s his first with Susie.
“This is something we can do together,” he said. “Our youngest moved to Portland six years ago, and our oldest went to college in British Columbia,” so they were familiar with the northwest.
“We couldn’t be happier with our choice,” he said.
They searched for such a business for three or four years, looking to settle in Oregon. They began looking for businesses in the service industry in Bend, Ashland and Brookings. When COVID hit, they realized that industry could be risky.
That led them to Hood River Coffee Roasters.
“We’ve always loved Hood River,” he said. “We’re so happy to be here.”
Thompson said Margotta is a sponge and actively seeks to understand all areas of the business, taking a hands-on approach to everything from processing orders to roasting coffee beans.
“I feel a responsibility for keeping this going,” he said. “We feel a definite responsibility to maintain the reputation of this organization within the community.”
He is impressed with those working for the company and credits Thompson for nurturing a positive environment.
“They are professional, proficient and courteous,” he said. “They’re wonderful people and they have a smooth bond. We couldn’t ask for more stability and you don’t usually see that.”
The Margottas are focusing their energy on two areas at present: To understand and meet customers locally, and to update the business website.
They are updating the front office retail space for local customers; the updated website will feature new product photos and content, and is expected to launch May 17.
“We want to be long-term contributors to the community,” said Margotta. “We want our site to reflect that.”
Thompson has lived in Stevenson for the past two years and is looking forward to the next chapter, participate more in the activities she loves — like biking and surf skiing — and becoming involved in hospice.
“I’m learning to stop and recalibrate after all these years of this being my life,” she said. “The Stevenson community is amazing. A lot of the company’s original contacts stem from Stevenson, so transitioning to living here has been easy.”
Hood River Coffee Roasters is located at 1310 Tucker Road, Hood River. For more information, visit the website at hoodrivercoffeeroasters.com.
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