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A ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at Sooner State Espresso, a family owned and operated coffee stand in Bartlesville.

Members of the community and the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce gathered at Sooner State Espresso on Tuesday afternoon for the occasion. Judd and June Lee praised the community for its endless support as they returned home to Oklahoma from Olympia in Washington State. The Lee family says the reception from the folks and businesses of Bartlesville has been truly overwhelming.

Outpost Coffee has helped Sooner State Espresso in its journey early on. Judd says it should come as no surprise that they are feeling the weight of supply chain issues with their business, but Outpost has been there to stock them up with cups, syrups and more. He say Jude, the owner of Outpost, has told them that he wants to see them succeed.

Judd and June run Sooner State Espresso with their son (Jared) and daughter (Jessica). June says their kids have stepped up and have done an exceptional job. She says they have been back in Oklahoma since the end of June 2021. 

The coffee stand opened in October 2021. Judd says he was working in education alongside June, Jared (pictured left) and Jessica in Washington State until COVID-19 and a double-levy failure hit their family and they lost their jobs. He says the anchors that were keeping them out west faded away, so they had to have a serious conversation about their future.

Judd and June's grandkids and their oldest son live in the Bartlesville area, so it made since to come home to be closer to them. He says it has been an exciting journey for their family and they are happy to be back.

June says she first had this dream of opening a coffee stand with her husband when they got married 28 years ago. She says they are beyond estatic to be able to live out their dreams together.

Transforming the coffee stand was a family effort. Judd says his family in Oklahoma City (formerly from Picher, Oklahoma) came to Bartlesville to help them paint the structure, install new light fixtures and build the counter where all the great drinks Sooner State Espresso has to offer are made. He says they couldn't do what they do today without their family's support. 

Sooner State Espresso is located at 1/2 1709 SW Frank Phillips Boulevard. The drive-thru is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. They do not do dine-in or delivery.

In addition to the coffee that they serve, Sooner State Espresso has what is called a "Tiki Breeze" for you to enjoy. Judd says Tiki Breeze is similar to Red Bull in that it is an energy drink processed with kale beans which is a little bit healthier, meaning it doesn't lead you to crash after 10 minuntes. He adds that their coffee is imported from Seattle, Washington.

Judd says the magic behind any great espresso coffee is the machine you have as well as the product being used. Judd says he used to ask his mother how she made things better than anyone else, and she would always say, "It's the same ingredients everyone else uses, but put a little TLC in there." With a little laugh, Judd says he likes to think a little TLC makes all the difference.

Sooner State Espresso has big plans for the future as well. Judd says they would love to open another store on the east side of Bartlesville if they can get supply issues straightened out. He says they would love to get a trailer so they can go to different events such as Sunfest at Sooner Park in Bartlesville or weekend outings in Picher.

Perfecting their process at the coffee stand along Frank Phillips is just the beginning for the Lee family.