Seattle Coffee Works

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Coordinates: 47°36′36″N 122°20′26″W / 47.6101°N 122.3406°W / 47.6101; -122.3406
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Seattle Coffee Works
Founded2006; 18 years ago (2006) in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Headquarters
Seattle
,
U.S.
Number of locations
3 (2023)
Area served
Seattle
Key people
Heather Schmidt (CEO)
ProductsCoffee
OwnerVibe Coffee Group
Websiteseattlecoffeeworks.com

Seattle Coffee Works (SCW) is a third-wave coffee company based in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. The business was established in 2006 and operates three coffee shops. In addition to the flagship in downtown Seattle, SCW has outposts in Ballard and South Lake Union, called Ballard Coffee Works and Cascade Coffee Works, respectively. A location on Capitol Hill called Capitol Coffee Works opened in 2017 and closed c. 2022. Previously independently owned and operated by Pipo Bui, Oscar García, and roast master Sebastian Simsch, SCW was acquired by Vibe Coffee Group in 2022.

SCW has garnered a positive reception and has been deemed one of the best coffee shops in the city, Washington, and the United States by various publications and media outlets. In 2011, Andrew Zimmern visited the flagship for a 2012 episode of the Travel Channel series Bizarre Foods America.

Description

The third-wave coffee[1] company Seattle Coffee Works (SCW) has a flagship store in downtown Seattle and has operated outposts in the Ballard, Capitol Hill, and South Lake Union neighborhoods. The company's "Coffee-drinking Man" imagery and signs have been compared to Jonathan Borofsky's Hammering Man.[2] The downtown location has an express bar and a slow bar.[3] Lonely Planet has noted its woody interior.[4][5] The Ballard location has been described as "airy".[6] Seattle Metropolitan has said SCW is "less espresso factory" and "more reading nook", noting the presence of a macramé chair.[7] SCW's menu includes coffee, espresso, and milk drinks.[7] SCW sold baked goods supplied by The London Plane, as of 2017.[8] SCW had sold an "Obama Blend" of African and Indonesian beans.[9][10]

History

Photograph of a sign on the exterior of a building
Exterior sign at Cascade Coffee Works, South Lake Union

Established near Seattle's Pike Place Market in 2006,[11] the business was initially operated by Pipo Bui,[12] Oscar García, and roast master Sebastian Simsch.[13][14] According to Ash Shah of The Daily of the University of Washington, SCW started as a pop-up shop where the owners provided espressos sourced throughout the area. Approximately four years later, they began to produce their own coffee.[15]

SCW has a no-tip policy.[16] According to The Stranger, the company also publishes an annual "authenticity report" and provides health care and benefits to all employees.[17] In 2021, Inc. magazine's Diana Ransom reported that Simsch thought workers became "generally happier" after wages were raised, noting that "turnover is nil".[18] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw business slow[19] and operated via take-out.[20] SCW also received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program. According to Ransom, Simsch released 20 employees, moving the remaining 15 to a new coffee-subscription service and e-commerce coffee sales.[18]

Heather Schmidt is the company's chief executive officer, as of 2021.[21] The business was independently owned[22] until 2022, when Vibe Coffee Group (the owner of Victrola Coffee Roasters and Whidbey Coffee) announced plans to acquire all four locations.[23]

Flagship

Photograph of the interior of a coffee shop
Interior of the coffee shop at Pike Street and 1st Avenue, 2023

In 2007, the Daily Journal of Commerce described SCW's selection of locally roasted coffees, including brands from Caffe D'Arte, Caffè Umbria, and Vashon Coffee Co.[24] The flagship store relocated from the Newmark Tower to the intersection of Pike Street and 1st Avenue in 2009.[25][26]

In 2009, Simsch described large groups of Starbucks employees visiting for observation.[27][28] Andrew Zimmern visited SCW in 2011 to feature the business in the first season of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods America.[29][30] The episode of him sampling the 2011 Colombia Cup of Excellence, which retails for $100 a pound,[31][32] aired in 2012.[33] According to Shalini Gujavarty of Eater Seattle, Zimmern considered the visit one of his "top five experiences" in the city.[34] The taping also allowed customers to sample the Colombia Cup of Excellence for free.[35]

In 2010, the Los Angeles Times noted the presence of Wi-Fi and 30 electrical outlets for 40 seats at the downtown location.[36] Simsch selected furniture for the flagship,[37] where he hosted public coffee cuppings at no cost, as of 2018.[38] The shop was vandalized in 2020.[39]

Outposts

Photograph of the exterior of a building
Ballard Coffee Works, 2023
Photograph of the exterior of a building
Cascade Coffee Works, 2023

Outposts have operated as Ballard Coffee Works,[40] Capitol Coffee Works,[41] and Cascade Coffee Works.[42][43][44]

The Ballard location opened in March 2012,[45] in a former bank building and Tully's location.[46][47] The shop was vandalized in 2021.[48][49] A third location opened at Broadway and Pike on Capitol Hill in 2017.[50][51] The coffee shop closed c. 2022, and was replaced by Ben & Esther's Vegan Jewish Deli.[52][53]

Cascade Coffee Works opened in South Lake Union in 2017.[54][55][56] Free coffee was distributed at the grand opening.[57] The coffee shop operates a retail space on the ground floor of a block, which has been occupied by Amazon and houses the Troy Laundry Building.[58][59][60]

Reception

The Not for Tourists Guide to Seattle has said, "To these guys, making coffee is not work."[61] The guide series has also said of Ballard Coffee Works specifically: "The coffee here definitely works".[62] Writing for The Oregonian, Caroline Cummins said in 2010 that since the coffee shop is close the Pike Place Market, SCW could feel "overwhelmingly touristy" and recommended the Slow Bar.[63]

Molly Hannon included the Ballard location in Men's Journal's 2011 list of the best coffee shops in the U.S.[64] The magazine's Tyler Coates has also included Ballard Coffee Works in a list of the nation's 40 best coffee shops.[65] The Pike Street location was deemed the best coffee shop for cuppings by Marriott Hotels & Resorts in 2013.[66] KSTW included SCW in a 2016 list of the city's "best craft coffee spots".[67] In 2017 and 2019, writers for CNN called SCW a "solid pick" in overviews of the world's best cities for coffee.[68][69] The Stranger said the business offered Seattle's best coffee in a 2017 overview of "advice to Seattle newcomers from newcomers".[70]

Writers for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer included SCW in 2019 and 2021 lists of the city's nine best places for hot chocolate.[71][72] The business was included in the Daily Hive's 2019 list of 10 "Seattle coffee shops aficionados can't afford to miss",[73] 2020 list of the city's 12 best coffee shops,[74] and 2022 list of seven "perfect places to study" in Seattle.[75] In 2021, Mia Mercado selected SCW to represent Washington in Eat This, Not That's list of the best coffee shops for each U.S. state.[76] Jen Woo included the business in Time Out Seattle's 2021 overview of the city's best coffee.[77] In Moon Baseball Road Trips (2021), Timothy Malcolm said "the service [at the Pine Street location] is so on point that you'll get your cup within three minutes".[78]

Thrillist has said, "Forget Starbucks" and commented that SCW serves "blended brews" and "buzzy drinks".[79] In 2014, the website's Dan Gentile included SCW in a list of the 21 best coffee shops in the U.S.[80] He also included the business in a 2015 list of the eight best "coffee cities" in the nation, writing, "Starbucks might be the biggest thing to put Seattle on the map, but any self-respecting coffee snob will look right past it, posting up at the slow bar" at SCW.[81] Thrillist's Naomi Tomky included the company in a 2016 list of "Seattle restaurant chains that should go national" and the downtown location in a 2020 list of the city's best craft coffee shops.[82][83]

See also

References

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  2. ^ Allison, Melissa (July 14, 2009). "Giant coffee-drinking man hoisted into place, remains nameless". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Not for Tourists Guide to Seattle 2014.
  4. ^ "Seattle Coffee Works". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  5. ISBN 978-1-78868-740-9. Archived
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  6. ISBN 978-1-63217-098-9. Archived
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  8. ^ Callaghan, Adam H. (February 6, 2017). "The London Plane Hires Two Head Chefs". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  9. ISBN 978-1-4685-9857-5. Archived
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  11. ISSN 1935-9004
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  12. ^ Lehmicke, Maggy (April 23, 2020). "Seattle's Coffee Culture May Never Return to the Way It Was". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  13. ^ "Local roasters brew for you at Seattle Coffee Works". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  14. ^ "Slow Man". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  15. ^ Shah, Ash (November 20, 2019). "From Instagram-worthy decor to matcha lattes, Capitol Coffee Works has it all". The Daily of the University of Washington. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
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  23. ^ "Victrola Owner Vibe Coffee Group Acquires Seattle Coffee Works". Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. May 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  24. ^ "Seattle Coffee Works". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  25. ^ "Seattle Coffee Works (111 Pike St.) still managed to handle the morning". Seattle Weekly. June 1, 2009. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
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  27. ^ "Starbucks tries something brand new, with a buzz". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
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  29. ^ "Seattle's Coffee Culture". Travel Channel. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  30. ^ "More Seattle-on-TV News: Bizarre Foods to Feature Seattle Coffee Works". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  31. ^ Vermillion, Allecia (July 26, 2011). "More Details on Andrew Zimmern". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  32. ^ Vermillion, Allecia (July 29, 2011). "Andrew Zimmern Visits Seattle, Is All About Canlis". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  33. ^ "Andrew Zimmern's Seattle Episode Airs February 6". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  34. ^ Gujavarty, Shalini (February 2, 2012). "Zimmern's Top 5 Seattle Moments". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  35. ^ "Food Event: Catch a "Bizarre Foods" Taping in Seattle and Get a Taste of "Black Gold"". Seattle Magazine. July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  36. ^ Guynn, Jessica (August 8, 2010). "Coffee shops are taking Wi-Fi off the menu". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
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  39. OCLC 9198928. Archived
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  40. ^ "Ballard Coffee Works: softly open now, grand opening to come soon". My Ballard. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  41. ^ Hill, Megan (May 24, 2017). "Grab a Memorial Day Pick-Me-Up as Seattle Coffee Works Opens on Capitol Hill". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  44. ^ "New South Lake Union Coffee Shop Wants to Connect Tech Workers, Homeless and Everyone in Between". Seattle Magazine. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  83. ^ "Seattle's Best Craft Coffee Shops". Thrillist. August 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

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47°36′36″N 122°20′26″W / 47.6101°N 122.3406°W / 47.6101; -122.3406

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