Just over two decades ago, Jeff and Beth Furton landed in Ogden with a dream that took root and blossomed into a thriving business designed to give customers their daily boost.

The Daily Rise Coffee motto — “Promoting Positive Energy since 2004” — encapsulates that intent.

“We came to do good and spread positive energy, cheer and happiness through a cup of coffee,” Jeff Furton said. “Promoting positive energy is the why, and the coffee is the how. We can change the community with one conversation and one cup of coffee at a time.” 

Hailing from Michigan, Jeff and Beth dated in high school but parted ways for college. He eventually landed in Boise and she in Cleveland, Ohio before reconnecting in Utah. 

Traveling west, Jeff said he saw drive-thru coffee shops and thought they were a great concept.

“So I researched it for six months and went to work in one for a while,” Jeff said.

Utah’s mountains and outdoor lifestyle beckoned, and Jeff and Beth soon found their way to Ogden. In 2004, the couple launched Daily Rise Coffee with its handy drive-thru at 2865 Washington Boulevard. 

In 2008, Jeff and Beth married at Wolf Creek in the upper Ogden Valley, a destination event that gave far-flung relatives a glimpse of what enticed the couple to put down roots near the Wasatch Mountains.

Also in 2008, Daily Rise added a second drive-thru at 1985 Antelope Drive in Layton, and by 2012 the Furtons opened their own roastery in a building tucked behind that location. 

“Roasting was something that we’d always wanted to do. I just wasn’t sure how to jump into it,” Jeff said. “When we purchased the Layton property it came with the building behind it, and Dave Ledgard, our previous roaster said, ‘You know what? You need to put a roaster back there.’”

Daily Rise now has about 30 different partners who serve their coffees brewed from beans grown in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Sumatra and Papua, New Guinea.

Some roasts get labeled with a local hook, such as Snowbasin Blend that boasts “chocolate, nutty and smooth” notes, and Ogden City Blend billed as “earthy, fruity and caramel.”

“We’ve got a good offering of single-origin beans, and then we’re able to create blends from those as well,” Furton said, noting they’ve joined the ranks of certified organic roasters. 

In 2018, Jeff and Beth opened Daily Rise Downtown — their dine-in location at 2314 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. 

In addition to a wide array of flavorful hot and cold drinks (including milkshakes and smoothies), the Daily Rise food menu features sweet or savory crepes, sausage or vegan burritos, overnight oats, toasts and more.

Huntsville resident Walker Doman’s work frequently brings him to Ogden, and on a recent weekday morning he sat waiting at the downtown location for his favorite coffee. 

Doman explained why he drops in at that location two to three times a week. 

“The service is good, the quality’s good. It’s always better than anything you get in chain places,” Doman said, also praising the customer service employees routinely deliver. “The people are always nice and helpful. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“We try to divide and conquer the best we can,” Beth said, noting that she spends her time more on finance, human resources and the retail side while Jeff focuses mostly on the roast facility and wholesale-related tasks.

As the business grew, so did their family. The Furtons have two daughters, ages 12 and 15. As infants, both enjoyed on-the-job nursery privileges as they accompanied Mom and Dad to work.

Jeff’s mother, Kim Furton moved to Ogden to help with her grandchildren and the business. 

“Kim had a banking background and would take shifts as a barista,” Beth said, praising her mother-in-law for how she “kicked butt every day” as they grew the business. Now Kim functions as their lead espresso machine trainer. 

Maintaining the company’s positive vibe seems to hinge on hiring the right people. The one common denominator that their frontline workers share, Beth said, is that “they’re all pretty darn happy people.”

“I look for people who have that natural energy and kind of already look at that cup half full,” Beth said. “We can teach the barista skills, but we can’t teach that active kind of happy-go-lucky, easy going personality. We look for people who can talk to anyone and enjoy that social aspect.”

By 2024, three additional Daily Rise Coffee Shops have come onboard, owned and operated by different partners. These include one in Centerville at Young Powersports, 547 S. Frontage Road, one in Midway at 42 W Main Street., and one in Park City at 1500 Snow Creek Drive.

Feature Image: Beth and Jeff Furton, owners and founds of Daily Rise Coffee. All photos by Dung Hoang.