When Marty and Lenee Taylor put in an offer to buy the old 6th Street Café in downtown Prosser last spring, they had a general idea about what they wanted to do with it.

[blockquote quote="We like giving people a chance to experience live music." source="Marty Taylor, owner of Brewminatti" align="right" max_width="300px"]

The two things they knew for sure— they wanted to take advantage of the entire space, which for years had been semi-divided into two spaces, and they wanted to bring music into the venue.

They didn’t realize when they set out to make their vision a reality just what an impact the business would have on the small community.

Since opening their doors in August 2015, Brewminatti has been serving meals using locally-sourced foods and produce, brewing custom-roasted coffee and attracting pretty talented musicians.

Brewminatti is quickly becoming a favorite stop over for musicians touring the Northwest and looking to add a small show to their schedule between stops in larger markets like Seattle, Portland and Spokane.

“We’re kind of strategically located,” Marty said.

Since opening their doors, they’ve hosted performances by Kevn Kinney, The Ballroom Thieves and John Doe, just to name a few.

The quality of the music they bring in is important, they said. They want to create a space where people can come in and focus on the performance. They don’t call Brewminatti a concert venue. They call it a listening room.

“We try to do all ages shows,” Marty said. “We like giving people a chance to experience live music.”

And they’re starting to make a name for themselves.

They are drawing people to Brewminatti from the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Seattle and Ellensburg. They’ve even had people from as far away as Southern California come in specifically to watch artists perform.

It’s also becoming easier and easier for them to find performers. Marty has a long history of being involved in the local music scene. He owned a record store for six years and created a company – The Roots Cellar – to help book musicians for gigs at local wineries. And when he started Brewminatti, he leaned on his experience and contacts to book his first few performers.

But as word got out and more people took a chance on the Prosser venue, it’s becoming easier. Marty said he’s starting to get calls from groups who have already performed at Brewminatti who are looking to make a second appearance. He’s also getting calls from people who know of various bands and groups who enjoyed performing in Prosser and want to give it a shot.

At this point, the couple said they seem to be focusing on bringing in musicians who can best be described as playing Americana music. But, Marty said, that can mean everything from groups with roots in folk music to those singing soulful jazz.

“For me it’s more about, is it good music,” Marty said. “Will people enjoy it?”

When people come in for a performance at Brewminatti, they’re not in for a typical experience. Instead of listening to a concert, it feels like you’re sitting in someone’s living room listening to some really good music.

“We just try to make it as inviting as possible,” Marty said.

Tickets for performances typically range from $10 to $20 per person.

The room isn’t filled with rows of chairs. Instead, there are chairs and tables set up throughout the room – creating a space where people can enjoy the music while snacking on light appetizers and drinking wine, beer and coffee.

And the Taylors are just as picky about the food and drinks they serve, as they are about the music they bring in.

The couple work hard to use locally- sourced food, getting their meats from a company in Leavenworth, their bread from a Yakima bakery and their coffee from Grandview’s Garage Roasters. Lenee said Garage Roasters roasts their coffee to order – making deliveries two to three times a week.

During the week, Brewminatti offers a light breakfast menu, featuring everything from granola to toasted bagels. For lunch, paninis, salads, wraps and bratwursts.

The beer and wines are also local and change frequently. Marty said they have three rotating taps and feature wines from Prosser and the rest of the Northwest.

The Taylors have a long history in Prosser, having moved to the community about 16 years ago. At that time, Marty was working in produce. After about a year he took a job as the pastor of the Grace Fellowship Church. Marty said the job kept him inside more then he was used to and after a few years, he decided he needed to find a side gig that would get him out into the community.

That’s when he and Lenee opened their record shop – Something Groovy. After six years, they closed the record shop, allowing Marty to focus on his job at the church and Lenee to work as a substitute teacher.

But not long after that, the music called them back. That’s when they opened The Roots Cellar and started booking groups at area wineries.

Looking back, both Marty and Lenee credit the good people who have helped them get Brewminatti off the ground with the business’ success.

“We’ve been inordinately blessed with people have helped us along the way,” Marty said.

And even now, after being open for a year, the Taylors are still seeing new faces come through the door.

“Each day that we have been open, we have someone new walk through the door,” Lenee said. “That’s been exciting.”

Brewminatti is at 713 Sixth St. in Prosser. It is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. To learn more about Brewminatti, including information about upcoming performances, call 509-786-2269, visit brewminatti.com, therootscellar.com or its Facebook page.