Founded on Service.
Built for Community.

A man and woman wearing summer hats, standing outdoors with blurred trees in the background, smiling at each other.

Meet Michael & Valerie

The name 53TACOMA comes from a small mountain home in North Carolina, a place where winter winds pressed hard against the walls, but inside there was always space for warmth. It was a lively house filled with siblings, nieces, and nephews, anchored by a mother whose love wrapped around everyone who walked through the door. At the heart of it all was Valerie’s grandparents, especially her great-grandmother, whose wisdom, faith, and quiet strength shaped generations. From her, Valerie learned that comfort isn’t something you find, it’s something you create, share, and strengthen through the power of prayer. In every season, prayer became her way of turning gratitude into grace and challenges into purpose.

Valerie and Michael’s story began in 1983, when they met as young service members in the United States Air Force. What started as a simple connection quickly grew into a lifelong partnership grounded in love, commitment, and shared values. They married in 1985 and built a closeknit family with three wonderful children, carrying that sense of home with them wherever life took them.

As Michael continued a distinguished thirty year military career, their family traveled the world, living in places rich with culture, history, and unforgettable coffee. From quiet neighborhood cafés to vibrant city corners, they discovered how deeply coffee is woven into daily life around the globe. Each cup told a story, each place offered a new perspective and slowly, a dream began to take shape.

During rare, treasured vacations moments when the pace slowed enough to imagine what might come next they talked about those coffees, those places, and the feeling of connection they brought. They dreamed of creating a space that extended their love for travel and family into something others could experience, a welcoming place where stories, flavors, and people could come together.

53Tacoma International Coffee Cafe is the result of that dream. It’s a tribute to where their warmth began, and to a life spent exploring the world side by side. Every cup reflects Valerie and Michael’s journey, an invitation to slow down, gather, and explore the world through coffee.