USPS delivery delays plague Port Townsend coffee company

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — More than ever, Sunrise Coffee Company has relied on the U.S. Postal Service for deliveries to online customers who help keep the business afloat as profits have dropped during the pandemic.

But owner Bill Curtsinger said the once timely USPS deliveries to and from Port Townsend are anything but these days and it’s starting to affect business.

“I have never, ever had a problem personally with the post office before the last six to seven weeks,” said Curtsinger, who said USPS deliveries to his business and customers are not making it on time, even when shipped at the same time.

“We had an order for 12 pounds,” said Curtsinger, who ships packages daily. “We had to split it up in two different boxes. One arrived about three days late. The second box arrived four days after that.”

Curtsinger said his company, that’s weathering a steep drop in sales, now ships coffee with a note apologizing for delays. The longtime roastery said current COVID-19 restrictions don’t allow customers to be served inside the shop, only from a window outside.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday, after mounting pressure and state lawsuits, that he would halt some of the recent USPS operational changes that are blamed for widespread mail delivery delays. The postal service has warned that mail-in ballots for the November election could be delayed too.

“Customers aren’t going to put up with that, they’ll just go somewhere else,” said Curtsinger. “Another toaster or another source so they don’t have to wait a week for it; that’s a problem for us, you know, our Seattle box is overnight, period. And that’s not happening for us right now.”

Cox Media Group