“It’s been an amazing year at 2 Miller,” says Devorah Fralach, retail operations manager for Equator, which is also celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a company in 2015. “We’re honored to be a part of such a vibrant community. In the past year we have become involved with the Mill Valley Film Festival, Kiddo!, Friends of the Mill Valley Library and we’ve brewed coffee for countless community events.”
“We’re celebrating our first anniversary on Tuesday with cupcake giveaways all day – join us!” Fralach added.
The long-awaited arrival of Equator Coffees & Teas inside its space at 2 Miller Avenue arrived in November 2014 with a Grand Opening celebration and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The celebration officially completed the transition at 2 Miller from LaCoppa Coffee, which Bay Area coffee pioneer Arnold Spinelli operated as Bonita Coffee Company in the early 2000s, to Equator.
Russell said the idea of Equator taking over at 2 Miller Ave. originated in May 2013, when Spinelli told her that he was considering selling the business and hoped to pass it on to Equator. Russell, Equator co-owner Brooke McDonnell and Spinelli have been friends for 15 years.
“When I arrived in San Francisco on June 22, 1989, the first coffee shop I visited was Spinelli’s on 24th Street in San Francisco,” Russell said. “I then made my way to Mill Valley and lived on Throckmorton Avenue visiting what was then the (Mill Valley) Coffee Roastery on a daily basis.”
“This is an amazing return to our roots,” she added.