Coffee brews for a double latte at Desert Rain Coffee .

Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star

More Photos (1):

Other articles by Danielle Sottosanti:

Eastside center named for West Community notes Huge Southeast side development will reach far beyond its borders Senior center named for West Students raise funds for ALS Turning 30 can be a stylish affair Community notes Bus route draws pros, cons Local heroes take center stage Community notes

Health Care
PAINTED HILLS PEDIATRICS
LPN, RN, MA Restaurants and Clubs
Frog & Firkin
Server Driver/Transportation
DRIVERS Administrative & Professional
KNIGHT PIESOLD
PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT Trades/Construction
Water Tec
Dispatcher General
Copperstate OB/GYN
Operator Office and Clerical
General Metals
Admin Assitant

John Hall had been working for others until he "woke up and smelled the coffee" and decided to concentrate on his own small business full time.

Now staffers and visitors at Northwest Medical Center Oro Valley, 1551 E. Tangerine Road, smell his coffee every day at Desert Rain Coffee, the coffee and espresso bar he started in the hospital lobby.

"I did a two-day trial in July, and it worked out for both parties, so I decided to take the plunge and leave working as a chef," Hall said.

Hall, 51, was a chef in Tucson for 12 years. Before coming here for a job, he worked as a chef in Seattle.

Though only located at the hospital for about a month, Desert Rain has already become a hot spot there, said hospital staff members.

"There was a big buzz about it. It was all over the hospital that we were getting Desert Rain Coffee," said Elizabeth Maish, chief nursing officer.

Some members of the hospital staff were already familiar with Desert Rain Coffee from his stand at the Oro Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays, Hall said.

The farmers market runs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Oro Valley Town Hall, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive.

"The bottom line is that it's the best coffee we've ever had," said Maish. "We see a lot of visitors here. It's become a gathering area. Every cool place has a coffee bar."

Hospital visitor Janelle Lopez said she appreciates that the hospital has a coffee stand in the lobby, rather than just a machine.

"I like that instead of having a coffee machine, you get flavored coffee," she said.

Plus, her favorite drink, iced chai, is not often available in coffee machines, she said.

Having a coffee bar in the hospital has become part of the hospital staff's workday, said Maish.

"It has enhanced our lives here. Everybody says, 'You going to the Rain?' And we all troop down," she said.

Gloria Records, who schedules surgery at the hospital, goes to "the Rain" every day — sometimes two or three times per day.

She estimated that she has spent $300 there in the short time since it opened.

"I like John's cafe mocha. I've bought pounds of coffee," she said. "I bought gift cards for everyone in the OR (operating room)," Records said.

Customers can put money on Desert Rain's coffee cards, which function like prepaid phone cards.

Hall said the machine he bought to make this card system possible was "an out-of-pocket expense," but an easier alternative to taking debit cards.

Hall, who started roasting his own coffee in 2003, said he takes an independent, traditional approach to espresso.

He sells products from local businesses such as Maya Tea Co.

Rather than using a powdered or liquid coffee blend as a base for blended, frozen drinks, Hall uses only milk, ice and coffee.

He also uses a hand-lever-operated Italian espresso machine, rather than the automated machines many espresso bars use.

Hall also doesn't charge extra for drinks made with soy milk, even though it's more expensive than cow's milk.

"Many people use soy for medical reasons, so I figure, why penalize them?" Hall said.

He also makes drinks using whole, 2 percent or skim milk.

Desert Rain's most popular drinks are cafe mochas and lattes, but some of its specialty menu items include the lime mockarita and the Mango-berry chai freeze, he said.

Hall said he hopes to try to build a following for his business, and that he loves working at the hospital.

"It's a passion. I have to do this. There are great people here," he said.