South Whidbey coffee outlets expanding into each other’s bean bailiwicks
Published 1:30 am Friday, February 27, 2026
By PATRICIA GUTHRIE
Special to The Record
Two South Whidbey coffee businesses plan to open up new outlets this spring, crossing over into each other’s territory in Langley and Freeland.
Jupiter Coffee in Freeland — known for its scrumptious scones — will be one of several new tenants moving into the old Langley Building at 630 Second Street, site of the former pinball arcade, The Machine Shop.
In Freeland, Wifire Community Space at Whidbey Telecom, 1651 Main Street, will again be the place to go for a cup of Joe. Salty Sea Coffee plans to open its fourth location there, said owner Allie Jones.
“Our plan is to offer our full drink menu, along with an expanded food menu and the house-made pastries that people know and love from our Langley café,” she said. Salty Sea also has a drive-through in Langley on Bayview Road and a walk-up stand at the Clinton ferry terminal.
Jupiter owner Laura Wills, who’s been dabbling with the idea of expanding, said she’s thrilled to be part of preserving the old Langley building that started as a lumber business in 1944.
“I am over the moon excited for Jupiter’s future,” she said.
Other tenants lined up are a beauty salon, record store and a gathering space for teens, said property owner and contractor Ryan Peacock. His construction company is designing and renovating the sprawling space to fit tenants’ needs.
“We want to maintain the character of the building and turn it into a hub for the local community,” Peacock said.
Langley residents jonesing for Jupiter scones will no longer need to leave town.
“Yes, of course our scones will be at our new location,” Jupiter barista Camila Recchio said, tending to an overflow of klatching customers at the Freeland cafe. “Initially we’ll probably bake them here and take them over and start with drip coffee only. We’re planning a soft opening and to start slowly.”
Jones admitted that she and her husband, Sterling, weren’t really looking to open another location. They visited the Wifire space at the insistence of others, she said.
“Our customers told us they really wanted us there,” Jones said. “And the women at Whidbey Telecom said they’d love for us to move in. We felt like we got kind of ‘Beetlejuiced’ into it. But once we walked in, Sterling looked at me and I knew. Now, I’m excited. It will be our biggest place yet.”
A third coffee enterprise, Crabby Coffee, once dotted Freeland with its bright red logo for ten years at various locales. Recently, it vacated its leased drive-through outlet on Highway 525 because of structural safety concerns. The company still operates a cafe on Front Street in Coupeville and continues to make take-and-bake pizza at Crab N Go Pizza in Freeland.
Catching up on Whidbey’s bean buzz has always been a bit confusing.
For example, Whidbey Coffee Company has its roasting plant in Mukilteo (the founder is from Whidbey) while Mukilteo Coffee Roasters is located in the woods outside Langley.
Owners of Jupiter and Salty Sea enterprises both started small, putting in 16-hour days with no help. Each now boosts a staff of eight employees and a legion of loyal customers.
Jupiter and Salty Sea have distinctive personalities in their decor and offerings.
Salty Sea, named after Allie’s grandfather’s boat, is big on blended cold drinks with curious oceanic names that are favored by thirsty tourists and the younger set. The staff concocts flavored coffees for holidays and other events (lime green and bright blue Blitz Spritz was a big hit recently) and delightfully promotes products and specials on social media.
Its motto: Stay Salty, Stay Caffeinated.
Jupiter, one the other hand, is eclectic, otherworldly, with planets spinning on walls, monthly music jams and a basic menu of espresso drinks, hot or cold. Coffee brews here and milk screams and steams but make no mistake, Jupiter Coffee has grown into a scone zone.
No matter what the competition brews up or bakes — zebra mocha, gingerbread bundt cake, dirty sodas, red velvet cookies, espresso s’more milkshakes — local coffee entrepreneurs say it’s all good.
“We believe strongly in collaboration over competition,” Allie Jones said. “There is room on this island for multiple businesses to thrive, and when one of us grows, it brings more energy and opportunity to the whole community.”
