Joe On The Go

By Laura Calverley

Joe On The Go, a new coffeehouse café, has filled a long-unmet need for a drive-through coffee place at in Ramona.

The cafe, which opened last month, is at 2037 Main Street next to the Ramona Country Crafts plaza.

Joe On The Go offers a wide selection of coffee drinks, teas, blended coffees, frappes and smoothies. The menu includes four kinds of café mochas, three different lattes, a “create your own” selection and much more. The cafe also offers bagels, muffins and pastries for those who like a little something to eat with their coffee.

The cafe is open late, until 9 p.m. most evenings and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

“We both love coffee,” said Melissa Evans, who owns Joe On The Go with her husband, Tom, a sheriff in San Diego County. “A coffee drive-through was missing here. There are times when you don’t want to walk into a place because you’re in a hurry or you don’t have makeup on.”

Someone once said the secret to a good cup of coffee is in the bean. The coffee in Joe On The Go’s cappucinos and frappés comes from Daymar Coffees, a coffee roaster in El Cajon. The coffee is roasted and packaged right in the plant.

“We’re very happy with the quality of the coffee,” said Melissa Evans. “We have to wait after we order it because they make the coffee to order. It’s totally fresh when we get it.”

The Evanses’ goal is to provide the finest coffee available at an affordable price. Prices range from $1.25 for a regular small coffee or shot of espresso to $4.25 for a smoothie.

Although the cafe has only been open a short time, word is spreading about Joe On The Go. It already has some regular customers.

“One man comes in from down the hill and gets a 5-shot espresso with whipped cream every morning,” Melissa Evans said. “Another lady comes in for hot chocolate and brings her eight children with her.”

The Evanses searched for a year for the right property that had room for a drive-through. The new owners completely renovated the interior of the building, which once housed a pool store, and turned it into a pleasant coffee café in just two months. The site also features an outdoor patio where customers can sit and enjoy their cup of “joe.”

“We have teenagers and we wanted to start a business where everyone could work together,” Melissa Evans said.

Joe On The Go soon will offer entertainment in the evenings. Local musicians will perform acoustic music for patrons on Friday and Saturday nights.

Future plans include adding wireless Internet and a big-screen television.

“We hope Joe On The Go will be a place that kids will come in after school and do their homework,” Melissa Evans said, “and others will come in and socialize and spend time with friends.”