Meet the Owners

Matt and Barry have worked together for over 7 years at Everett Golf and Country Club.

Both Matt and Barry are formally trained in Culinary Arts. Matt graduated from Johnson & Wales and Barry graduated from Lake Washington Technical College and then did the apprenticeship program through the Washington Chef's Association.

"We were actively searching for the right business opportunity for over six months when word of Solid Rock Coffee came through one of our purveyors".

Matthew

The culinary seed was planted in me as a little child watching grandmother and mom cook for the family from scratch. There was always bread in the oven or sauce cooking on the stove top.

At 18, I attended Johnson & Wales University where I earned my Culinary and Pastry Arts degree. From there I moved to Seattle in 1994 and worked in various restaurants and country clubs.

For the past eight years I have been working at the Everett Golf and Country Club where I have learned the art of member service. I excel in the country club setting and enjoy the family-orientated atmosphere. It was here that I met Barry - we discovered we share the same passion for food and drink and we're thrilled to have this opportunity to own a place together.

Barry

I also grew up in a family of good cooks; in fact it wasn't until years later that I learned that some people just don't know how to cook. Being surrounded by so many people who could cook, I just firgured everyone knew how.

I first entered a professional kitchen at the young age of 16. I hadn't really considered cooking as an occupation before, but over the course of a few months, I knew it was what I wanted to do and was meant to do.

My work experience is quite varied, from small local cafe to over 2 years in Hong Kong working for a large international catering company. Locally I've worked at places such as The Salish Lodge, Gerard's Relais de Lyon (formerly of Bothell), and The Sweet Life Cafe (formerly of Snohomish).