Chris Martin, founder of Taylor Maid Coffee, and his daughter Janae are the new owners and managers of Howard's Cafe in Occidental. Martin's brother-in-law ran the restaurant until he passed away earlier this year. Martin decided to take on the restaurant to keep it in the family.

Some changes are a-foot already: trained baristas are now on staff pulling Taylor Maid espressos. Come the first of the New Year, they will be switching to organic eggs, grass-fed beef and local, organic vegetables (some of them supplied by Taylor Maid's gardens), season permitting. All vegetable drinks will be organic, and with Taylor Maid's huge strawberry and raspberry patches, organic berries will be available much of the year. The shift was made, Martin says, "to support local farmers and to connect with the community."

The Martins hope prices won't have to increase significantly with the changes and are considering offering higher-priced items as an organic "upgrade." They're also looking into accepting credit cards or installing an ATM machine on site. Martin says about the cafe, "We're putting nothing but love into it!"

Howard's Cafe, Bakery and Juice Bar, 3611 Main St., Occidental. Open for breakfast and lunch, daily. 707.874.2838.

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