PULLMAN, Wash. – After years of owning Zoe Coffee & Kitchen and Cougar Country in Pullman, owners Mike and Terry Wagoner are ready for their next chapter: retirement. The two restaurant staples are up for sale.
“We have that inner peace, now is the time to do it,” Mike Wagoner said.
Anyone who truly knows Pullman, knows that Cougar Country and Zoe Coffee & Kitchen are pillars of the small college town. They’re popular, they’re dependable, they’re always there for you.But as the Wagoners prepare for retirement, the future of these two staples is up in the air.
“In one way, I kind of owe it to my family for being so busy for all these years,” Wagoner said. “My wife just turned 70, I just turned 71, and we looked at each other and said – we should be doing something for ourselves now, for the rest of our 20 years hopefully.”
Frome one chapter to the next, time is a precious commodity.
On Tuesday, Wagoner sat in Zoe’s, surrounded by hard-working college students, reminiscing on all the years spent devoted to this business, which he and his wife created from scratch in the early 2000s. On the other side of town, more college students were hard at work inside Cougar Country, which is celebrating 51 years of capturing countless hearts on the Palouse.
Wagoner took ownership of the old-fashioned drive-in five years ago in 2019.
“We have very fond memories of our taking our kids to cougar country for ice cream and treats, burgers, and kid’s meals.”
The days that led up to Wagoner taking ownership in 2019, well, they’re hard to look back on sometimes. The weekend Cougar Country closed five years ago was the same weekend Mike and Terry lost one of their grandkids.
“We were sitting on the couch up in Spokane and then we saw the news about Cougar Country and said, ‘oh no.’ And then wife turns to me and said, ‘you have to buy Cougar Country,’” Wagoner said.
It took a while for Wagoner to get onboard, but one day he, his wife, and their daughter, were walking through the decades old diner with a realtor. And all of a sudden, his girls were smiling, laughing, after weeks of pain. Cougar Country sparked a little joy that day.
“When I saw that and heard that, I said I need to buy this because I know it’s not just my family that has all those memories, I know it’s myriads of families that have experienced the charm of Cougar Country over the last 50 years,” Wagoner said.
And even though he’s saying goodbye, Wagoner hopes Cougar Country will live on for another 50 years. From local football legends like Mike Leach and Gardner Minshew, to everyday students, the memories created there and at Zoe’s are endless. The customers are the gift that keeps on giving.
“We love them and hopefully they love Zoe and they love Cougar Country,” Wagoner said. “We’re going to miss that for sure.”
As for who will miss Wagoner, well there’s an obvious answer. Everyone, especially his employees.
“It’s going to be a sad day when he actually sells it and retires, but he deserves it, he’s worked his tail off for it,” James Schuler, Zoe Coffee & Kitchen Manager, said.
And because of the hard-working, loyal, dedicated staff inside the two restaurants, there’s no question about it; if someone decides to buy either staple, they will feel right at home.
“That’s the real bargain that someone is going to get when they purchase these businesses, is the humanity that comes with it,” Wagoner said.
As of right now, the Wagoners are still searching for their replacement. But from all the Cougs down on the Palouse, they sure do hope whoever buys, keeps these classics running.
Wagoner said he and his wife will not leave until someone new steps in. As for his plans in retirement, Wagoner looks forward to more fishing, more time with family, and more relaxation with his wife.
