“Better Living Through Coffee” is not just the name of Michael LeDonna’s cafe at 100 Tyler St. It’s also the guiding philosophy of his life.

By the time he started the coffee shop on the Port Townsend waterfront with co-owner Ben Cook in May 2009, LeDonna had already spent a lifetime roasting his own coffee and starting up coffeehouses across the country.

“I started chains everywhere from San Luis Obispo to Rhode Island,” LeDonna said. “I roast my coffee about a mile down the road from my cafe, and I sell it to other shops as well. I’m just doing what I’ve always done.”

LeDonna credits much of his success to the quality of his product, although he acknowledged the importance of atmosphere as well.

“I’m not a marketer, but I’ve got a great product,” LeDonna said. “I love coffee, and I love cafes. When I’m not running a coffee shop, I’m going to one. I love to just sit and read in a coffeehouse.”

To ensure the quality of his coffee and other menu items, LeDonna insists that everything he sells be made from scratch.

“I offer what I want to eat, with as much organic and local fare as possible,” LeDonna said. “I try to follow ancient traditions that make food more nourishing, like soaking the grains and nuts overnight.”

Better Living Through Coffee stocks neither artificial sweeteners nor pure white sugar. It does offer 2 percent milk, but not fat-free milk.

“And we only carry fair-trade coffee,” LeDonna said. “Our prices are virtually the same as Starbucks, but most people don’t care even if we cost a little more. It’s our commitment that counts.”

Indeed, with more than two dozen customers even during what LeDonna deemed “a slow morning,” it would seem that his patrons respond well.

“I’m here for the coffee and jazz,” said “Mac” MacAllister, a regular for close to six months. “I’ll go anywhere I can listen to John Coltrane in the morning. This place reminds me of a hangout in San Francisco in the ’60s. It’s just got that ambiance.”

“I love that all their stuff is organic,” said Gary Fredrick, a daily visitor for nearly five years. “And their coffee is the best anywhere.”

“We’ve very accessible,” LeDonna said. “Our customers can stay for four hours, or go right away. People use us as their living room or their pit stop.”

LeDonna receives similar loyalty from his employees. Although his staff fluctuates from about 15 in the winter to as many as 20 in the summer, he boasted that he’s never had to lay off any of them. Julie Brown, one of his baristas, continues to work at the cafe, even after finding full-time employment elsewhere.

“It’s just a really nice place to stay,” Brown said. “In an age of Internet and smartphones, having in-person gathering places like this is crucial. And I love how the owners take care of their employees. The food is so good here that some of us eat here every day. It’s like getting a home-cooked meal.”

One of LeDonna’s customers in Rhode Island first gave him the idea of how to give back to the community by suggesting a free Christmas Day meal for those who need it. While LeDonna was able to offer this service in Rhode Island for eight years, it wasn’t until this year that he was able to organize such an event in Port Townsend.

LeDonna expects about 150 people to take advantage of the free meals, between 1 and 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 25, but if it’s too many more than that, “we’re going to have to scramble to multiple fishes and loaves,” he said, laughing.

In the meantime, LeDonna is proud to see that the story night on the first Friday of the month, which was started at the cafe six years ago by Brian Rohr, has expanded to include an open-mic poetry night, scheduled for the third Tuesday of every month.

Also, Port Townsend Deaf Coffee, a group of people in the deaf community that meets regularly at the cafe, hosted its Christmas party on Dec. 17.

Visit bltcoffee.com for more information.