BRU Coffee Hause aims to be ‘a part of something more than coffee’

BRU Coffee Hause opened in its distinctive former grain silo on North Division Street near Whitworth University in early August, and people are flocking to the new business to get a daily dose of positivity with their coffee.

The baristas typically ask each customer what they are grateful for that day as part of their quest to be positive and welcoming. They typically get answers back ranging from the simple to the profound, including recent sobriety milestones, said owner Sigrid Houske.

“At BRU we’re so positive,” she said. “We ask people what they’re grateful for. If you can tap into what they’re grateful for, they’ll think about that through the day.”

Houske has worked as a barista for the last 11 years, spending the last five years as a manager at North Side Espresso. She sees her career as a way to make people’s lives better, whether that’s by providing them coffee or reminding them of the things in their life they’re grateful for.

“I always knew when I was young I wanted to make an impact,” she said. “I just didn’t know how I was going to do that.”

She’s known she wanted her own coffee stand for years, and four years ago she found her current location at 9803 N. Division St.

“I was driving by and pulled in,” she said. “It was all weeds and trees. This lot was so perfect for me.”

She saved her tip money for years with the goal of opening her own business. Bringing her dream to life, however, was a struggle. What should have taken about four months took nearly two years, as Houske dealt with permit issues and a contractor who skipped town with her cash without doing any work.

“That was a huge thing,” she said. “I was out all that cash. Banks wouldn’t give me a loan. I didn’t even know if I was going to open. I had three different attorneys tell me to declare bankruptcy. I was definitely testing God for a while there.”

She purchased a used grain silo from a local farmer, and friends and family helped her turn it into a coffee stand. She picked a silo for her building as a strategic choice, not just something to make her business stand out.

“I’m super into how the brain works,” she said. “Our eyes go toward round objects more than square objects. A circle building makes people happy without them knowing it.”

Everything from her cup lids to her espresso machine is orange, and not just because it is her favorite color, but because it also makes people happy, Houske said. Even the name, BRU, refers to “Be the real you.” She used the European spelling of “hause” in a nod to her Norwegian heritage.

Houske is on social media, including TikTok, and said people who have seen her videos have come from as far away as Moses Lake just to have some coffee. Houske said she thinks it is because of the positive attitude she is trying to spread.

“People are coming here because they want that positivity, that connection,” she said.

That positivity is also what attracted barista Grace Mathews to apply for a job. She had worked with Houske previously years ago and thought she would make a great boss.

“I’ve always been super impressed by how organized and positive she is,” Mathews said. “I was just really excited about being a part of something more than coffee.”

Mathews is one of eight people, including Houske, who keep the coffee shop humming.

“This has been the most organized, positive, fun job,” Mathews said. “I look forward to coming in every day.”

The corner lot provides easy access for the steady stream of traffic heading both directions on Division. On a recent morning, lines of cars waited their turn to order. Houske and her baristas greeted each in turn, some of whom they know well. Houske asked one regular, who was arriving later than usual, if she had slept in that day.

“People are coming two to three times a day,” she said. “We call them our brew besties.”

The shop is known for its Bruskis: the Hause Bru (white chocolate, caramel, shortbread, vanilla bean and cinnamon powder); the BB Krispy (toasted marshmallow, almond, white chocolate and shortbread); the Miss Maple (maple, shortbread and caramel); and the Towhead (white chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel).

Those with an appetite can get an Italian, turkey and cheddar or ham and Swiss sandwich. A breakfast sandwich of sausage, egg and cheese is also available.

In addition to the unique building, what sets BRU House apart is that everything from the sandwich bread to the soft top is made in-house. Houske even roasts her own coffee.

“Our almond milk, our oat milk, we make it here,” she said.

BRU Coffee Hause is open from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.