Our Story
Shannon Warnke, the owner and founder of Taylor Ray’s Café is living her dream. It is quite the story.
Childhood Dreams
Shannon started working in the restaurant industry at 14 years old and dreamed of owning her own restaurant. Providing an exceptional customer experience became a way of life for her. After meeting her future husband, she put her dream on hold in order to start a family.
Challenged with the loss of eyesight
During her pregnancy with her second child, Shannon was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Behcet’s disease. This auto-immune disease took her eyesight. It took a few years to get the symptoms under control; however, the end result was a permanent visual impairment that will eventually leave her completely blind. Time was not on her side and she still had her dream of being a business owner.
She contacted Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) for help. DSB assigned her a counselor, provided in-depth training on how to function in her new capacity and helped her get into college to learn a new career. She was learning how to function in society and learning how to learn with an impairment. She was almost done with her AA degree and not sure what the next steps for her new path would be when she heard about a program within DSB.
The Business EnterpriseProgram
The program within DSB is called Business Enterprise Program (BEP). This program was created through the Randolph-Sheppard Act in congress and signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. The program created vending, cafeteria and café style restaurants within government facilities to enable blind or visually impaired persons to become independent and productive members of society.
In 2017 DSB helped Shannon get on the waiting list for the training program offered by BEP. Knowing that it could take a while, Shannon contacted her local McDonald’s, told them her story and how she wanted to be more prepared for the program. McDonald’s created a job for her and she received in-depth training on the entire business process, right down to making and serving the food.
Early Success
Within three months of graduating and receiving her certificate as a certified blind vendor, Shannon had the opportunity to bid on a contract that included the Highway Licensing Building (HLB) and the Health Care Authority Building (HCA). She was awarded the contract and inherited an experienced staff to help guide her.
In 2018 because of her success, she became eligible to bid for an additional site. The Dome Deli at the Capital Campus in Olympia along with the Pritchard Kitchen on the same campus. Again, she inherited a wonderful staff and repeatedly acknowledges how grateful she is to have had such amazing guidance and loyalty from a great group of people. As the company grew, it became evident that she needed an extra pair of hands and know how. Her son Skyler Warnke, left his employment and came to help her full time with the growth & development of the business. He made a strategic impact on the company by taking take of the minute details and helping out wherever was needed.
In 2019 an additional opportunity presented itself. She bid and won the contract award for the Labor & Industries Building in Tumwater. She had finally obtained her dream job and dream location within the program. What a wonderful opportunity and she was able to manage all of the afore mentioned facilities at the same time.
Meeting New Challenges
In the spring of 2020 COVID 19 brought the shut down of all the state facilities and the aftermath was a new world for everyone.
Shannon dug in. She hired a small business consultant, created a new business plan and model. She has successfully implemented that plan and while still navigating this new economy is seeing positive results.
Taylor Ray’s Success and Expansion
In the middle of all that, she decided it was time to take on the public realm. She partnered with her son Skyler Warnke to build-out and open her first public location Taylor Ray’s Café at The Views. With Skyler’s eye for detail, he created a warm, inviting place where people could enjoy a view of the lake and have a great coffee and food experience. Skyler has since moved on to larger growth opportunities and is having success in his own right. Her second son Jordan, helped launch the new store with digital menu creation, marketing material and even worked the store himself in the early months while attending college full-time. It was a family project with even her husband getting involved with supply deliveries, equipment setup and whatever was needed to support the family effort. Shannon attributes her success to her family and their unending support.
In February of 2023 she purchased her latest public location and sister company, Juniper Coffee Co, in Lacey, Washington. Juniper coffee is a gem in the rough with a wonderful clientele within a growing community. It is warm, comfortable and inviting with a staff of very creative baristas providing amazing customer service.
Shannon is and has been very involved in the BEP vendor committee community. She has served as Vice Chairman and is currently serving a term on two separate committees. The group focuses on solving issues with current vendor businesses as well as development of policies to help support future business. The program has changed her life and she is committed to helping all visually impaired people reach their potential.