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PrintIn Pursuit of the Perfect Cup
These days, the caffeine-crazed have several options in and around Jackson.
Pearl Street Bagels recently sold, but little has changed other than the owners’ names. It’s an institution in both Jackson and Wilson.
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In today’s Jackson Hole, caffeinators can get their jolts at one of several coffee shops, all locally owned and open for the winter. Each shop is an institution unto itself, where you meet your buddies before skiing, or sit by a window and write. You bring your dad there for breakfast when he visits; you walk there in new snow with your dog every morning; you greet your favorite baristas daily, same time, same place.
Face it: Your neighborhood coffee joint is an important part of your winter routine. It’s familiar, it’s comforting, and the brew is good.
Pearl Street Bagels
With its central location, familiar cast of characters, and consistently good coffee, Pearl Street Bagels is one of the most popular coffee dispensaries in town. Owned by a trio of thirty-two-year-old friends, Pearl Street always feels young and vibrant, yet homey. With one shop in town and another in Wilson, the business has allowed Heather Story, Polly Danz, and Brevan Daniel to live the Jackson dream: Have a career in the most beautiful place on Earth, and provide a valuable service to the community—a place to gather, gab, and gear up.
“It’s such an institution in the community,” says Story. “It’s pretty much exactly the way it was when Les and Maggie [Gibson] owned it. Why change a good thing?”
Indeed, since their 2008 purchase, the new owners have changed very little, other than adding muffins to the menu and reducing the cost of a cup for those who bring in their own mug. Now, just $1.50 will get you a steamy pour into your stainless steel before a long ski day. Another new addition: punch cards for sandwiches. Buy nine, the tenth one’s free.
Story takes her coffee without froth and other embellishments, and she especially enjoys the organic brews the business imports from different places around the country. Each day, sippers have the option of the house blend or the special. (The house is so good that sometimes it’s tough to be adventurous, but each serves its purpose.)
With the work of local artists hanging on the walls and familiar faces behind the counter, Pearl Street Bagels is an everyone-knows-your-name kind of place. “When I was working the counter, [it was] the only job that I’ve ever had where I didn’t dread going to work,” Story says. “We have such an amazing staff. We’re all good friends outside of work, as well. And you never know who’s going to walk through the door. We’re friends with the customers. It’s great to be a part of the community.”
Baristas see it all: political tirades, professional meetings, moms’ clubs, first dates, and tutoring sessions. “It’s definitely the place to be as far as the breaking gossip goes,” Story says, laughing. “We’ve got our finger on the pulse.”
Story even has her own bagel shop fairy tale.
“When I worked the counter out in Wilson, I met my fiancé,” she says. “He was just a customer, a daily [Teton] Pass skier. It was one of those things that kind of developed.”
She remembers what he drank: a double, eight-ounce Americano. The two will be married soon.
