Starbucks Renovation Reminds Us Seattle Loves Illuminated Signs
The Pike Place Market sign is iconic, for sure. So much so that this city is lousy with imitators, usually attached to some sort of business, like the QFC in Wallingford that used to be a Food Giant.
The latest addition to our illuminated pantheon is the closely watched overhaul of the Starbucks on Olive Way (christened "Gaybucks" by Capitol Hill Seattle blog and the people who apparently use the coffee shop as a meeting spot for same-sex blind dates). According to a release from the company, a crane installed a 16-foot Starbucks sign on top of the building Wednesday morning. As you can see, the former Boston Market location is looking much more snappy as it readies for its Monday re-opening.
Starbucks at 1600 E. Olive Way
The assiduous CHS blog confirmed the sign will be illuminated.
The store is part of a test project that will offer beer, wine and food along with traditional Starbucks drinks. In the interim, the company has stationed a weird van in the parking lot to service customers.
A Seattle PI article from earlier this year makes the point that neon signs (and presumably more weather-friendly modern illuminated versions) are big in Seattle because they cut through our pervasive gloom. The piece also has a great rundown of the city's most iconic neon signs, including the Elephant Car Wash on Denny, the Buckaroo Tavern, Dick's and the old P-I Globe.
