We’ve got a love-hate relationship with Starbucks and especially their current CEO, Howard Schultz. Living in the heart of coffee central, Seattle, we have a multitude of choices(Herkimer, Caffé Vita, Caffé Ladro, Broadcast Coffee) to grab a cup of joe. I think most locals prefer to go to small independent coffee shops. Here’s a full list of Seattle coffee shops.
When you’re in a hurry, Starbucks is probably the defacto coffee stop since it’s practically on every street corner, it’s fast and consistent. In my office building downtown, we have a Starbucks in our lobby as well as a store literally one block away in any four directions from our building.
I typically go to Starbucks if I’m short on time and absolutely need a coffee.
One last note on Starbucks: In my previous job, I was responsible for hiring entry level employees in an office setting. One of the main things that gave candidates an advantage over others is if they worked at Starbucks. I knew that anybody who worked at a store for an extended period of time would have customer service skills, could multitask, prioritize in fast paced environment and deal with high maintenance personalities, which seems to be a common trait amongst Starbucks customers.
Description on Cafe Lulu’s website: A fun, cozy, welcoming atmosphere might just become a natural extension of your own home.
Neighborhood: Greenlake
Address: 6417 Latona Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso, Cinnamon Roll.
Comments: It’s actually been awhile since we’d been to Café Lulu, the small little neighborhood coffee shop in between Greenlake and Roosevelt neighborhoods. They just recently did a remodel which really changed the feel of the café. Before it was a cozy colorful spot with orange walls, chalkboard menus and lots of art. Now Café Lulu has been transformed to a more modern clean café with white walls, bright lights and no artwork. Perhaps the remodel is not completely done? One thing that remains at Café Lulu is their collection of travel books. I remember coming here a few years ago and reading through a Japan travel guide right before our trip there.
Here are the before and after comparisons:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
The seating quantity is about the same as before, but the quality is much nicer. There’s some stool seating along the front counter looking out on Latona Ave. There 5 tables of two and 1 table in the front that starts at the wall and goes perpendicular to create a table. The wood tables are quite stunning. The counter between the customers and the barista is much more open and lower now, so you can more easily interact now. Before you could only see their heads as they were making drinks.
The coffee machine they have has a Caffe Vita sticker(yes, I finally figured out Vita vs Ladro), so I assume that’s what they’re serving.Some of the food options are yogurt, banana, oatmeal, breakfast burritos, bagels and I think some bagel sandwiches. One other thing they added with the new remodel is the selling of wine by the glass and bottle. With the addition of wine it only makes sense that they extend their hours from 2:00 closing to 6:00 on weeknights starting in February.
I’ll be honest, even with the upgrades in lighting and outlets, I kind of miss the cozy environment prior to the remodel. Perhaps, it’s just something we need to get used to. I give kudos to any coffee shop that’s been in business for 21 years especially with the plethora of coffee in Seattle. They’re obviously doing something right maintaining their customer base.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Library of travel books
Atmosphere: 3.75
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.15
Eavedropping Convo: There must be a Microsoft Connector bus stop nearby. 2 Microsoft employees waiting inside Cafe Lulu for the bus. I think they had just figured out that both of them were both waiting for the Connector.
M1(Microsoft Employee 1): What area do you work in?
M2(Microsoft Employee 2): —-Sales. I just started two weeks ago so I’m still finding my way with the commute and the company. Note: I couldn’t hear the exact sales dept.
M1: It takes awhile to get the lay of the land that’s for sure. It’ll get better. I promise.
M2: Yeah, I’m sure it will.
M1: Where did you come from?
M2: I moved here from Atlanta. Man, this cold weather is another thing I need to get used to.
M1: This? This ain’t nothing. It’s actually been a mild winter. Don’t worry, it’ll get colder.
M2: Gee, thanks.
Related:
Description on Herkimer Coffee website : At Herkimer Coffee our purpose is to create a coffee experience of the highest possible quality. Whether it’s your double espresso, latte to go, or the bag of beans you brew at home, we want your experience to be the best it can be.
Neighborhood: Ravenna / University District
Address: 5611 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
Music playing: Didn’t I -Darondo
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments: Herkimer Coffee is our go-to spot when our family walks over to Cowen Park or going to the Saturday University Farmer’s Market. We normally get our coffee to go and can only recollect one time where we met up with friends and actually stayed to enjoy our coffees. On this particular day, I decided to stay and enjoy.
Plus points for having “Didn’t I” by Darondo playing when I walked in. One of my favorites. Then some Vampire Weekend. Then some Shins. I asked the barista if this was his playlist and was about to compliment him, but alas, it was Spotify.
I got a Macchiato. Because it was late afternoon, their pastry selection at that point was pretty bare, but there pasties are from Café Besalu in Ballard. Note: As I delved deeper, I found out that Herkimer now owns Café Besalu as of last year! I had no idea.
One thing you’ll notice for some of their drinks is the strange pricing. For example, the Macchiato and Cortado are both $2.72. You may ask, why? That’s because with the tax, it comes out to an even $3.00, which I appreaciate. Keep it simple
The space is small like most places on The Ave, but I feel it maximizes the space with a long wooden bench that runs the entirety of the inside with 7 small tables . There are 4 stools running along the front of the space with a counter and one community table for 8. There are two tables out side on the side walk to look out on the northern part of The Ave. In the front it’s nice and bright, but towards the back it’s warm and dark with soft lighting
They had about some 3 tea selections. There’s local art on the wall for sale. And they got AC, yo!
Surprisingly, Herkimer only has 3 locations-Dexter, Ravenna and the flagship Greenwood location. It seems like there’s more locations, but I guess I drive down Greenwood and The Ave a lot. I don’t drive on Dexter much.
Like some other Seattle coffee roasters(Elm, Slate, Vita, Ladro), I was curious about where the name “Herkimer” and logo originated. Apparently it’s named after a town in New York, where the founder’s dad was born. Another fun fact: The founder of Herkimer also founded Caffe Vita. The bridge in the logo is an iconic bridge in Herkimer.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: I love the fact that there’s a quality coffee shop very near Cowen/Ravenna Park.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: Guy and a gal having a coffee. They seem to be UW students, It was right around end of the first quarter, so they were talking about plans for the summer and when they were leaving campus for home. They’d been there before I got there and were still there for the 45 minutes I was there, so they were there a while.
Gal) If you’re free, I was thinking about going……
Guy) Yes, let’s go!
Gal) You don’t know where I was going to suggest.
Guy) I don’t care. Let’s go!
Gal) It’s a place really close to here…….. Both walk out the door together.
Dude was super eager to hang out more I guess.