Black Coffee Northwest | |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | October 18, 2020 |
Owner(s) | Darnesha and Edwin Weary |
Street address | 2300 S Jackson St |
City | Seattle |
State | Washington |
Country | United States |
Other locations | Shoreline (former) |
Website | blackcoffeenw |
Black Coffee Northwest (sometimes abbreviated Black Coffee NW) [1] is a Black-owned coffee company based in the Seattle metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Washington. The business has operated coffee shops in Shoreline and Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, and is also a whole bean roaster. [2] [3] Black Coffee Northwest plans to open a shop in Seattle's Central District in 2024.
Black Coffee Northwest also serves as a community hub, [4] and provides barista training and internships. [5] Eater Seattle has said the business created a space "for art, mutual aid, and activism", [6] and Seattle Metropolitan has said Black Coffee Northwest "blends brews with cultural salon talk". [7]
The menu has included the "Karen", a caffè mocha with white chocolate named after the pejorative term and meme of the same name. [8] [9] Before opening their roastery, Black Coffee NW used beans from Boon Boona Coffee, another Black-owned coffee company based in Washington. [10]
The company participated in a "Black Black Friday" campaign organized by Seattle Black-owned businesses in 2023. [11]
Darnesha and Erwin Weary opened Black Coffee Northwest in Shoreline in October 2020. [12] [13] The business operated inside a building leased by Bethany Community Church. [14]
Black Coffee Northwest has been subject to arson, theft, and vandalism. [15] [16] [17] Ahead of the originally planned grand opening, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the building. [18] [19] Two brothers were charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device. [20] The business sought financial support from the community following the incident, and opened weeks later. [21] [22] In January 2021, a swastika was drawn on the cafe's exterior. [23] [24] [25]
In November 2020, the cafe hosted a voter registration drive. The business had extended hours on Election Day and, according to Eater Seattle, offered "$0.45 off orders for customers who say that they've voted 45 out". [26] In 2021, the business hosted an anniversary party and various activities leading up to Halloween. [27] [28] The business also hosted "Coffee Chats" and tutors for students. [29]
Black Coffee Northwest had 14 employees, as of November 2021, most of whom were women of color. [30]
The shop closed in June 2023, after the shop's landlord evicted them over more than $22,000 in missed rent. Owners cited the landlord and gentrification as reasons for the closure. They confirmed plans to continue operating and intend to open a shop in the Central District in 2023. [9]
The business opened a second café in Ballard in 2022. [31] As of 2023 the Ballard cafe is no longer in operation. [9] As of January 2024, Black Coffee NW operates on the North Seattle College campus. The on campus café is known as Black Coffee Northwest at the Lily Pad Café. [32]
In 2023, Black Coffee Northwest announced plans to re-open in the Central District, in a building which previously was a Starbucks location. [9] [33] [34]
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