The Albers family, formerly of Oregon and now very much a part of Caldwell, can all occasionally be found at their coffee shop, Bond and Bevel Mercantile and Coffeehouse. Family members include, clockwise from top left: mom Krista Albers; dad Heath Albers; oldest daughter Moriah, 15; and youngest daughter Eden, 10. (Courtesy photo)
By Gaye Bunderson
A coffee shop in Caldwell boasts the unique name of Bond and Bevel Mercantile and Coffeehouse – and the name isn’t the only unique thing about it. Launched in April of 2022 by Heath and Krista Albers, the shop blends coffee, conversation, and community all in one.
Many coffee houses may offer that, but Bond and Bevel’s uniqueness lies in the fact that its owners are believers who not only welcome everyone into their shop at 107 S. 7th Ave. in Caldwell, they also host worship nights each first Friday of the month onsite, with everyone welcomed at that event as well.
Along with coffee and treats, Bond and Bevel sells uncommon wares, including handmade quality leather work and outdoor gear highlighted along the walls of the shop. The Albers are creatives, and much of what is on display now are pandemic-era projects that kept the couple busy. “Once the world stopped turning in the spring of 2020, we had nothing but time on our hands. So we started sewing and drawing. Maybe we’ve always been artists and that part of us was just dormant, but tapping into this new craft woke us up. Since we had the time, we just went all out,” Krista Albers wrote at www.bondandbevel.com.
Many of the outcomes of their creative labors can be seen in the shop today.
Though Bond and Bevel is located in Caldwell, the Albers are originally from Albany, Ore. But that part of the Northwest started to feel alien to them, according to Krista. A “new normal” that overcame Portland and other parts of the state in the past decade bothered the Albers. In Krista’s words, “Portland is increasingly unleashed.”
She continued, “We didn’t like the direction [parts of] Oregon are going, in its political climate and family values.”
They still loved the Northwest area of the U.S. “We’re Northwest born and bred. I love the climate, the beauty. We’re drawn to the beauty of the Northwest states,” Krista said. They were familiar with the Gem State, and it presented pluses to them, especially one big plus: Idaho in general aligned more closely with their values and their faith.
When they started to think about moving to Idaho, they first thought of Coeur d’Alene. “God said ‘wait’,” Krista said. And they did. Also, there was nothing in the middle part of Idaho that they liked, so that was out.
Krista explained, “We looked at the Boise area, and I visited here. … We were drawn to Caldwell, with its blue collar roots. It was up and coming, and we wanted to be part of the rebranding of Caldwell. We wanted to help bring Caldwell recognition on all levels.”
They’ve accomplished a measure of that in two years. Their coffee shop and mercantile store was featured in “Entrepreneur Magazine,” a national publication. “We’re bringing an impact and recognition to the community,” Krista stated.
She also said, “Canyon County in general is fantastic. They’re very small business friendly here. Idaho is doing things better too, in terms of policies and politics – things that help us preserve our own priorities.”
Along with rare goods and craft coffees, another out-of-the ordinary twist to the business is its first Friday of the month 7:30 p.m. worship program.
Their inaugural Friday worship was in 2023, and the event is growing. They’ve had 50-80 people on occasion, according to Krista. “We’ve had people standing on the sidewalks with their hands raised,” she said. They feature different entertainers every month, and they don’t celebrate any one church. They’re ecumenical and have welcomed Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, and other denominations.
But what about non-believers? According to Krista, they’re neither left out of the coffee shop community or the worship events. “We’ve had non-believers who know and trust us and who wouldn’t necessarily go to church but have come to our Friday programs.”
She stressed, “We don’t do anything weird and no one at the event does anything weird. God’s not weird, but there are believers who are weird in Jesus’ name. They’re representing themselves, not Him.”
At each Friday program, there is an established leader, prayer, and moments for someone to share a word from God. “It’s a prayer meeting; there are no scripts, but there’s lots of worship.”
In the coffee shop, there is a community even between believers and non-believers, Krista said. “We’re having conversations, sharing the gospel across the counter. As divine opportunities arise, we try to take advantage of them – and there’s ample opportunity.
“People who aren’t believers come here every day. They may even consider themselves atheists. But they come because of the customer service, the product, the kindness of our staff – they’re people who know what we stand for, and they still come in because of the atmosphere. As His followers, we are emitting the love of Jesus.”
There are items all over that denote the shop as Christian, like Romans 1:16 in small letters on the coffee cups, or the stickers here and there with Scriptures.
“The goal is to shine our light. We have a responsibility as followers of Christ to share the truth with those who don’t yet have it. All our workers are Christian, and we have the responsibility to share the truth and create a community for Christians as well.
“Our agenda is to be a light, a city on a hill; it’s to foster community for those who are currently following Jesus, and hopefully they can all feel Jesus here, His presence. It’s a safe haven, a refuge. That’s something that people have mentioned to us, that it’s a safe place where you can feel God’s presence.”
Krista became a Christian in college, while Heath was exposed to the faith as a younger person living at home. They met at Oregon State University in Corvallis; he was majoring in speech communication, and she was majoring in early childhood education. He’s now 44, and she’s 43. The couple has two daughters: Moriah, 15, and Eden, 10. The entire family loves it here, and their goal for themselves and the shop is to be permanent residents.
The name Bond and Bevel was selected in honor of Heath’s creative skills.
Said his wife: “Heath is very good at a lot of things – he made a robotic arm in the fifth grade in the ’80s. He doesn’t come off as prideful; he doesn’t blow his own horn – I blow his horn for him. We wrote down a couple dozen words that encompassed all the words associated with Heath’s skills and settled on Bond and Bevel.”
Things are not perfect for the entrepreneurs, as they aren’t for other business owners. “All sales in the valley are down about 20%,” Krista said, confessing she said to the Lord, “’If You want us to continue to be the light of God, You have to help us keep the lights on.’
“I remember when we were talking about the transition of moving here, we didn’t want a sleepy retail shop. We wanted a place where community happened.”
She said the coffee and the leather goods complement each other. “If people come in for coffee, it creates the consistency of seeing high-quality, handmade items, such as a bag. But if they come in to look at the bag, they may try the coffee. They work together; they benefit each other.”
No one in the family seems to miss the “new normal” of their former state. Moriah, who is very intuitive and loves Jesus, told her mom, “It just feels lighter here. It’s not heavy; there’s a lightness.”
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