Stu's Brews to open a second location in June

Two years after opening a small drive‑thru along U.S. Highway 101 South in Eureka, Stu's Brews is preparing to expand, taking over one of Henderson Center's most recognizable, longtime bakery spaces.

Owner Aaron "Stu" Salles said the new shop will be located in the former Old Town Coffee and Chocolates building, a site that has housed bakeries for roughly 50 years, and is expected to open next month. The original drive‑thru located on 4th Street in Eureka will remain open.

"We're excited to get the opportunity to take this historic location that has been serving the community both as a café and a bakery for nearly 50 years," Salles said. "We're honored to have this location, and we're excited to be serving Henderson Center."

Hitting milestones

Stu's Brews celebrated its second anniversary on May 20, marking the milestone the same way it did last year, by giving away bags of locally made HumYum caramels to the first 200 cars.

The milestone comes as Salles and his wife welcomed their son, Aaron Jr., eight weeks ago. To announce the birth of their son, the couple hung a huge announcement banner at their business.

"As far as the sign goes, you know, nothing screams local business like a birth announcement," said Salles.

A social‑media campaign

Before revealing the Henderson Center location, Stu's Brews launched a playful social‑media campaign showing the business "expanding" into increasingly improbable properties, including the vacant Kmart building as well as the Bayshore Mall.

Salles said he expected maybe 10%–20% of viewers to fall for the joke. Instead, "it was more like 80%."

"We got so many phone calls and text messages from people we knew," said Salles. "Police officers came by the next morning saying the whole department was talking about us taking over the Kmart."

The post reached more than 100,000 views through social media. The post even prompted a concerned call from his landlord, who worried the business had changed plans. Rather than walk it back, Salles leaned into the location campaign.

"We thought it would be good to keep the joke going and make it more obvious as we moved forward," said Salles.

Bakery legacy alive

The Henderson Center building has been home to multiple bakeries, including Vellintini's Bakery, Eureka Baking Co., Corner Bakery and, most recently, the building served as one of two locations for Old Town Coffee and Chocolates.

To maintain continuity, Stu's Brews has hired longtime cake decorator Kristyl Mentink, the stepdaughter of the original Old Town Coffee co‑founder Gail Mentink. Mentink will remain at the Henderson location as a baker for Stu's Brews.

"We are keeping the cake menu pretty much entirely intact," Salles said. "We're also making a couple of additions and improving some of the quality of the ingredients that were downgraded over the last couple of years."

Built on local partnerships

Sals said the shop's success has come from keeping its focus tight and relying on local partners whenever possible. The menu features items named after regulars, including the popular Jordyn breakfast sandwich and ingredients from Humboldt‑based businesses such as Nonna Lena's, Diane's Sweet Heat, Larrupin, HumYum, and Los Bagels.

He also credits the shop's regional roaster, Northbound Coffee of Mount Shasta, which was originally from Humboldt County. Salles mentioned that Northbound Coffee has been roasting coffee for over 30 years and has honed their craft.

"Try to stick to what you're good at," said Salles. "You put yourself in a better situation when you can lean on the expertise of others."

Stu's Brews was voted Coffee House of the Year in the North Coast Journal's 2025 Best of Humboldt.

"We're excited to get the opportunity to take this historic location that has been serving the community both as a cafe and coffee as well as the bakery for nearly 50 years," said Salles. "We're also happy to bring the quality of the drinks and especially the customer service that we pride ourselves on to this location. As a business, we're thrilled to be expanding. We're honored to have this location, and we're excited to serve Henderson Center."

Maranda Vargas can be reached at 707-441-0504.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.