Seattlest: Thanks to Us, Peet’s Coffee is (Quite Possibly) Coming to Upper Queen Anne

Clint

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:03:33 -0800

Kudos--and Gorditos nachos--to you, #15. Add condo conversions and rising apartment rent to the mix and the pretentious shall soon (re)inherit the hill.

guest

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:01:26 -0800

Everyone needs to relax on this. If no one buys the coffee, the place goes away. Simple capitalism. If the neighborhood can support another coffee shop, then I guess it was meant to be. As a long time QA resident, I'm amazed that the Tully's, Starbucks x2, Ladro and El Diablo (heck, expand it to include the Tea Pot) can keep enough business to stay open, but the stores are always busy when I walk by. If Ravenna Gardens was such a nice store, why was it constantly undershopped. Businesses don't close successful locations, and let's be honest, no one bought anything from that store. It was overpriced and it's selection of actual greenery was so-so. What are people hoping will go in on top of Queen Anne? Another pretentious restaurant with fair to middling food like Portage or Opal (argue all you want, but the food is so-so and the prices are ridiculous). Another place to buy pizza to accent Olympia Pizza House, Elliott Bay, Vincenzo's, Sorrento, Pizza Hut, Pasta Bella and Tribunali (seriously, who eats that much pizza?) (also, much love to the now-departed King of Calzone, Pete's)? Or possibly another over-priced childrens' store (yeah, let's get some more $40 dollar shoes for babies who can't even walk). Definitely one more thai/sushi/pan-asian restaurant. Everytime something that doesn't fit that criteria comes along, it goes out of business. Does anyone remember the Cucina Presto? Or the World Wrapps? Or the gelato place? Or Gordito's (man I miss that place)? Or Hoyt's? Or Firefly? Or Fira? Vaguely. Possibly. They all went out of business, mostly for lack of customers. Queen Annians support the stuff they want on the hill. They want pretentious. They want expensive. They want 11 places to buy coffee. They want Starbucks for convenience and consistency, Tully's for variety, Ladro so they can feel anti-establishment and El Diablo for truly good coffee. And apparently, they want coffee want coffee while shopping at Safeway. I say, "Bring on Peet's." Heck, let's get us a Cafe Victrola, a Chai House, a Seattle's Best, a Coffee Messiah and a Juan Valdez. And then let's see if anyone on top of this stupid hill can sleep when their blood is 11% caffeine.

guest

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:45:35 -0800

I won't even comment on the idiocy of praising the advent of even more coffee at that intersection. It's Queen Anne residents like you that actually deserve to live in a neighborhood increasingly plagued by corporate, cookie cutter businesses.

guest

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:35:30 -0800

Story

Clint

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:19:52 -0800

Thanks, #11. I saw visual proof this morning: Signs all over Ravenna Gardens reading "GOODBYE SALE Everything 20% Off." Sweet.

guest

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:57:34 -0800

Its true, I work at Peets and Ravenna Gardens will be replaced by Peets. Employees are not allowed to confirm in case something falls through, but it will be there. There is a manager already hired!

guest

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:59:25 -0800

oh god not another coffee shop on qa!!! are all of you gushing caffeine enthusiasts out of your jittery minds? can't we all make due with starbucks, tully's, ladro, el diablo, cafe fiore — not to mention the three or four other food + coffee shops (safeway starbucks, appasionato, et cetera) that have taken root all over the hill, like weeds choking our neighborhood's vitality. it's insane. and why the cheers about losing ravenna gardens? now that was a lovely shop, providing the neighborhood with character and diversity....

guest

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:39:41 -0800

I'm always amazed at how provincial Seattleites can be. You'd think coffee was invented in Seattle. Actually Alfred Peet (the founder of Peet's) is considered the "grandfather" of specialty coffee in the United States. He was roasting his own beans in Berkeley in 1966. That's 5 years before Starbucks started in Seattle!! And yes, Starbucks is modeled after Peet's. In fact, Alfred Peet mentored the founders of Starbucks and helped them get a start in the business. Peet's is a chain yes, but with 150 or so stores (most in the Bay Area), it is miniscule next to 10,000 + stores Starbucks. The quality and integrity that has been there since day one is still a part of the company. As someone who has lived in both Seattle and San Francisco (I love them both), all I can say is, relax Seattle, a lot of good things have come out of California. The Bay Area in particular has given America a whole new way to look at food, drink, and yes, with the advent of Peet's, even coffee (and tea).

guest

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:29:26 -0800

1. yes, Starbucks and Peet's are linked-- by Schultz himself. Howard Schultz worked for Peet's for many years and perfected his model before buying out the original Starbucks owners and transferring the model. 2. Please do not name a coffee store "Java Junction." It's cheesy and horrible. 3. Did you ever notice that Starbucks is Skcubrats spelled backwards? 4. I might like Peet's a lot better if the stores had swings and slides.

guest

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:10:15 -0800

peets is awful.

Michael van Baker

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:33:03 -0800

Starbucks and Peet's have an interesting history. Peet's was the model that the original Starbucks founders used, and one of them bought into Peet's once Howard took Starbucks under his wing.

guest

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:25:20 -0800

I find it odd that a Seattle blog is rooting for a California coffee chain (and a fairly large one, at that) to open another cookie-cutter box store in a quintessential Seattle neighborhood. I dunno. I guess if you like your Starbucks in shades of brown, Peet's is your place.

Clint

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:31:22 -0800

@1: It is that good. And the people are always very cool (and they can talk coffee if you're into that). So, in this case, yes, we do need another. @2: Ironically, we want to move to West Seattle someday, so we'll look into that. @3: I know. I'm not convinced that'll be the spot, or that it's the best spot. (We like the corner across from the 5 Spot, where there's currently a salon/spa thing.) But if so, we could rename it Java Junction or something catchy like that.

guest

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:18:50 -0800

Let's see, at that intersection, there's already a Starbucks on one corner, a Tully's directly across the street from it and a Cafe Ladro three doors to the north. Never mind El Diablo two blocks to the south and the Starbucks in the Safeway. Yep, there's a definite dearth of coffee at the top of Queen Anne. The hell!?!?

guest

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:05:39 -0800

Very good- now see if you can get a Chipotle in West Seattle...

guest

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:39:51 -0800

Why the obsession with Peet's? Is the coffee that good? Do we really need another multi-metro coffee chain?