Santa Barbara County local, who worked in her mom’s coffee business, is the owner of Los Alamos Coffee and Tea
Alison Height is the owner of the Los Alamos Coffee And Tea, a quaint new establishment where locals and visitors can meet and enjoy a pastry and coffee or a cup of tea. It opened on her birthday, Sept. 14, to a great deal of fanfare from locals, guests, and family members who welcomed the new addition to the town.
A Santa Barbara County local who grew up on Drum Canyon, Height was introduced to the coffee business at a very young age by her mother, who owned a coffee shop in Lompoc called Coffee Bean & Things in the ‘90s where she also helped out.
“My mother married the coffee roaster, so coffee seems to be in my blood,” said Height.
Height attended Dos Pueblos High School and subsequently Santa Barbara City College, with her focus on nursing. But while there, she was asked to run the two coffee shops on the West and East campuses, which she did for a couple of years.
“I tried my best to get away from coffee and ventured back into the medical field. I became a certified phlebotomist and worked as a respiratory technician in a private pulmonary office of heart and lung doctors for about three years,” she said. “Wanting to expand my horizons, I then became a preschool teacher, having acquired my teaching credentials at night school. I taught for four years at The Learningden Preschool in Santa Barbara and more recently at Bethania Preschool.”
Height explained how she became a resident of Los Alamos.
“My husband and our three children were living in a cute little cabin on the Kinevan Ranch off of West Camino Cielo Road in the Los Padres National Forest,” she said. “It was on 28 acres of pure bliss and a pioneer woman’s dream. We chopped our own wood and made our own bread and life was lovely. We lived there for eight years but the owner decided to sell and we couldn’t afford the asking price and to our surprise, there were no other houses in our price range to purchase or even to rent.
“We had talked many times about leaving the mountain and trying something new and this event catalyzed us into motion. We eventually found the cutest little magical place located in Los Alamos and as soon as we saw it, we felt immediately at home, like this was the place where we were meant to be.”
While walking the seven blocks through town, Height said she noticed there was something missing.
“On one of my walks I noticed there was no coffee shop in town; no local hang-out spot where I could take the kids and casually hang out with a cup of coffee,” said Height. “I then noticed a house on Bell Street that looked unlived in and out of curiosity, I peered through the window. To my surprise, I saw an espresso machine and a turn-key coffee shop operation inside. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and my ‘coffee’ blood started to boil with excitement.
“I spent the next few weeks trying to find out who owned the property and, with the help of a neighbor, I contacted the owner and we were able to negotiate terms and the Los Alamos Coffee And Tea shop was born.”
Gathering her dreams and ideas, Height said she has a lot of plans for her new establishment.
“My biggest goal is to create a family-oriented, casual, community gathering spot where people can meet up, read a book or a newspaper, or do some work in a relaxed environment,” she said. “There is outdoor seating in every garden space, an indoor lounge with a gift shop, and later there will be a children’s play zone with specialized furniture for kids to enjoy.”
And soon there could be more than just coffee and tea, according to Height.
“I also have plans to obtain an additional food permit to be able to prepare ‘light fare’ food on the premises,” she said. “I envision breakfast burritos, sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie boards, all to-go items. Early next year, I would like to launch an ‘Afternoon Tea’ service on the weekends which would include a pot of tea, finger sandwiches and petit fours.”
Height recalls fondly the time she spent working at her mother’s coffee shop.
“My favorite thing about owning a coffee shop is the camaraderie — people dropping by every day, some just to say hello, others sharing their day,” she said. “I remember what it was like working at my mother’s coffee shop and seeing the friendly faces of people coming in and the community connections and friendships that were created. That’s basically my goal — to offer people some delicious coffee, provide great customer service and to be of service to the community.”
And Height isn’t doing it alone.
“My husband is a great help and is very supportive of me and this venture. He is my rock,” she said.
“I don’t know how this happens, but I always seem to find my way back to coffee,” said Height, smiling. “But I’m very happy to be here.”
Los Alamos Coffee And Tea is at 315 Bell St., Los Alamos. Hours of operation are Wednesdays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, call (805) 448-4293 or visit on Facebook and Instagram @losalamoscoffeeandtea or email alison.height@hotmail.com.
