SIP and ship turns 24 : Come celebrate with us

Fresh treats and free lattes all day Thursday, plus a few things 24 years has taught us.

Twenty-four years ago, Sip and Ship opened its doors, and you've made every one of those years what they are. On Thursday, October 15, we're celebrating all day with freshly baked treats and free lattes, and we'd love for you to be part of it. [It's also our son Jack's birthday, so the day is doubly special for us.]

Twenty-four years of coffee poured, packages packed, cards chosen, gifts wrapped and mail delivered. Thousands of everyday moments made a little easier. It's hard to believe that 24 years ago, this whole thing was just an idea.

What 24 Years Has Taught Us About Running a Small Business

The question of how a small business lasts has come up often in our conversations with you, so Steve and I decided to write down what comes to mind. This isn't a formula. It's what we've learned along the way, with a lot of help from this community.

Here are the lessons we keep coming back to:

The idea matters, but it isn't enough. You need a deep commitment to service and integrity: doing what you say you'll do, caring for people, and earning trust one person at a time.
Opportunity favors motion. You won't have every answer before you begin, and you don't need to. Taking the next step, even an imperfect one, is what puts you in the path of what's possible.
Team first. The best thing we've done is gather people whose skills and perspectives are different from our own. When we trust them and give them room to contribute, the result is friendly service and an efficient experience for every guest, without ever compromising our commitment to this community.
Consistency matters most. It touches everything else on this list. Talent is wonderful but showing up, doing the work, and continuing to improve, day after day, has carried us through moments when talent alone couldn't.
The work is never done, and we've come to love that. Learning and growth are our truest sources of progress, and they keep us curious after all these years.

From Ballard to Greenwood: Our Story

We learned most of this the way people usually do, by living it. Sip and Ship took turns we never could have predicted. When we began to expand into Greenwood in 2018-2019, we were building toward something we were excited about. Then the world changed. Construction stalled, and we worked through dust, debris and cold winter days, navigating the uncertainty of COVID and doing our best to stay available to customers who needed us.

Later came a harder chapter in Ballard. As the neighborhood changed and business slowed, we stayed as long as we could. In time, we made the difficult decision to close those doors and bring everything together here in Greenwood.

What happened next surprised and moved us. We knew we had loyal customers and a wonderful team, but we underestimated how many people would make the journey with us. More than 80% of our Ballard customers found their way up to Greenwood, along with our entire Ballard team.

It humbled us, reminding us that a business is never just a building or a counter. It's relationships built over time, trust earned, and people who show up for one another, over and over again. We haven't lost sight of why we're here: to be useful, to be helpful, to serve well, to make everyday life a little easier and meaningful moments a little more special.

For Every Occasion: Cards, Gifts and Shipping

Fall is a season of settling in, and everyday life asks a lot of us in the sweetest of ways. A college package is needed on campus asap. A new baby deserves something cuddle-worthy. Birthdays, anniversaries and congratulations give us reasons to pause and celebrate the people we love.