At Commuter Comforts, serving customers is all about timing

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 30, 2026

Since 1992, Commuter Comforts has been a staple at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal, serving food and beverages to those who are on the go with a staff that is ready to pivot at a moment’s notice due to the ebbs and flows of customers who are catching or departing a boat.

The business originally started in 1986 as a card table offering coffee owned by Virginia Walker before co-owners Carol Jelinek and Don Riddell purchased the stand from Walker in 1992. Lisa Alfieri joined the business in 2018 as an additional co-owner.

Alfieri said the mission of Commuter Comforts is to provide Bainbridge islanders, commuters, and visitors with a range of quality coffee and food products quickly to allow them to stay on schedule. She said it’s a constant pivoting act to stay on top of demand, adding that the team is watching ferry schedules and local events both in Kitsap County and across the Puget Sound in Seattle to gauge both the volume and timing of customers. During idle moments in between sailings, staff use the time to restock using a “boat list” to prepare for the next group of commuters.

“That list is what you need to do once that boat leaves. (When) the boat leaves, you’re filling up your sleeves, your cups, your sugar, your condiments, filling up the food cases, the display cases,” Alfieri said.

Staff often serve as an unofficial information booth during tourist season, Alfieri said, typically between May and September, providing directions, bus schedules, and charging people’s phones. She said they are often busiest during weekends and aim to balance and pivot based on the ferry schedule.

“We have people who’ve been coming to us for well over 30 years. We have a lot of people who come every day, and those people know to come in between a ferry, because then they can chat with us,” Alfieri said.

In April 2024, the coffee shop expanded inside the terminal, which now includes a full kitchen and bar. The business has roughly 14 employees, including culinary staff.

Alfieri said the new location doesn’t intend to replace either the original coffee stand or express stand by the Bike Barn outside of the terminal; rather, it serves customers with slightly different product offerings at staggered times. The original coffee stand typically serves weekday early morning commuters, while the express stand serves commuters driving onto the ferry.

Product offerings inside the terminal include a range of espresso drinks and breakfast items. Coffee is sourced from Mukilteo Coffee Roasters on Whidbey Island. “They’re a family-owned business. They are very much involved with all of their roasters all over the world, and their coffee is really well-balanced and…well crafted. We’ve stuck with that coffee for decades,” Alfieri said.