Page 106 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2021

chow | coffee

buildings from 1852. At first, it was just Michael and Mary. He bed roasting system, the beans levitated on a bed of hot air. This
started his day in the shop at 5:30 a.m., opening at 6:00. After gets rid of the bitters (from the skins) and allows a consistent roast
Mary got the kids off to school, she relieved him on the counter profile.
so he could concentrate on the business end of things. When
Mary left in early afternoon, he resumed the counter. After Looking back over the 30 years since they first opened the doors,
closing, Michael roasted beans, sometimes until almost midnight. Michael has no regrets about the long hours to get GoodBean on
Early on, the tourist trolley driver would point out GoodBean, and solid footing, the years before they could hire employees. When
Mary walked outside to wave. People came in. they started, Jacksonville was far from the busy town it is today,
but the couple stuck with it and their diligence paid off. However,
“The original, local coffeehouse was built on the back of Mary’s per- Michael Kell doesn’t linger too long in looking back. He is focused
sonality. We were newcomers in a small town, but not for long with on today and contemplating what the future might hold. You can
Mary Susan behind the register,” says Michael. feel his energy and see in his eyes the enthusiasm and love of what
he does.
Fast forward, and the two locations see hundreds of people daily. They
now distribute to grocery stores regionally and up the state, and have And he now drinks coffee.
been the exclusive pour at Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 25 years.
In Jacksonville, where I met with Michael, baristas greet customers by
name, friends meet up, tourists stop by, families gather—all wanting
a drink (there’s more than coffee), a bagel or baked good, breakfast,
brunch, or lunch. People visit, catch up, work on their phones or lap- GoodBean Coffee
tops. The room is full of happy chatter. 165 S OR St, Jacksonville
541-899-8740
Michael likes to say their goal is consistent consistency (it’s a thing, he GoodBean Cafe
reassures) in the quality of their coffee, in their business practices, in 3240 Hillcrest Park Dr, Medford
their hires. He’s pleased when people stop him to say regarding the cof- 541-779-6466
fee, “You are the best.” GoodBean processes its coffee with a fluidized www.goodbean.com

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541-608-1755
1950 Suncrest Rd., Talent, OR Working hard to serve your family better with an expansive deck with
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104 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | fall 2021