Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Cafe

Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Cafe

Description on  Seven Coffee Roasters website : Seven Coffee Roasters was started in a small cafe/roastery in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle in 2006 by Sean Lee.  Seven is named after Sean’s grandmother, affectionately called “Nana” by grandkids.  Nana, in Japanese, means Seven.

Neighborhood:  Ravenna

Address: 2007 NE Ravenna Blvd, Seattle, WA 98105

Music playing: Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald 

What we ate/drank:  Macchiato, Iced Latte, Iced Mocha, Full Tilt Raspberry Popsicle.

Comments:  Plopped in the middle of the Ravenna neighborhood is an old unassuming general store. Unless you are looking for it or happen to be driving through the neighborhood, you will never find it. I remember the first time we “found” Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café. The moment we walked in, we fell in love with it.  It really is just a neighborhood general store, but there are a few but very distinct differences from your usual general stores(although there aren’t many that have survived).  First, you won’t find your normal name brands, but you will find local products. No Cheetos or Dorritos, but you will find Kettle and Tim’s.  No Haagen Dazs ice cream, but you’ll find Full Tilt.  No Sutter Home or Gallo wine, but they do have 8 Bells(located right down the street), Matthews, Januik.  For the size of the store there is an amazingly wide variety of wine, beer and snacks. I also love their old school refrigerator that houses their cold drinks. I wonder if it’s the original from 1922(see below). The other thing that sets it apart is that they’re a coffee roaster, which makes their coffee drinks far, far above average for a general store. The actual roasting is done offsite. I’m not sure if due to Seven Roasters roasting their own coffee as well as having lower costs due to it’s location, but their prices are $.75 to $1 cheaper than your normal Seattle café.  The first time going to Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café was in the evening, so we just had beers. At the time, they had taps, but our latest visit only had beers in cans.

According to their website, “the store was established in 1922 and unofficially the second oldest market in Seattle, Seven Market & Cafe now sits where the former Boulevard Grocery once stood.” & “ Seven Market & Cafe sits in the quiet and charming neighborhood of Ravenna, near the University District. Ravenna Boulevard was once a main thoroughfare in Seattle for loggers hauling their goods from Green Lake to Lake Washington. The market served those loggers and others using the boulevard as a passage.”

It’s a tiny little place that might fit 12 people max inside, has a few small tables outside on the sidewalk along with a bench and an adjoining patio that maybe seat 6 or 7.  The left side of the storefront has a garage style door that they open. This gives the high seating counter the prime spot to sit to enjoy both the inside and looks out on Ravenna Blvd, which I love for its median that’s lined with trees.

As mentioned in our Best Seattle Bars To Impress Out of Towners and Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts posts, out of town visitors love these hidden local gems and Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café is no different. We had friends come from out of town and they actually went to Starbucks Reserve twice.  We took them to our little hidden coffee roaster, Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café and they loved it. No crammed cafe with tourists, just laid back conversation on the patio and great coffee. I’ve even mentioned this place to locals and most have never heard of it or seen it, but even those who have driven past it and knew about it said they had no idea it was a coffee roaster.  They normally say, “We just thought it was a small convenience store”.   This is our normal stop when going to our dog sitter, who lives in the area. It’s also the de facto hot chocolate source when visiting Candy Cane Lane during the holidays.

Their blog is a good source for their history and a blog that profiles the rotating local artists who sell their art in the café and also provides profiles on the various local businesses who serve their coffee- Bryant Corner Café & Bakery, Honest Biscuits, Sod House Bakery and Flying Apron Bakery.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:

Atmosphere:   5

Service:  5

Food Options:   4.75

Overall:   4.85

Eavedropping  Convo:  None.  Only that the barista made my macchiato and when handing it to me said, “Let me know if it’s good”.  It was.