One of the best examples of the Broadway Farmers Market as a launchpad for Seattle food and drink entrepreneurs comes home to Capitol Hill Friday as Rachel’s Ginger Beer opens in the 12th Ave Arts building on 12th just north of E Pine.
The new RGB will keep 12 to 12 hours daily and supply the Hill with a multitude of french fries, soft serve, and a steady flow of Rachel Marshall’s spicy ginger beer along with her signature slushy cocktails. The all-ages daytime into nighttime venue features a patio and is filled with a greenhouse’s worth of plants.
Marshall’s places, she has said, cater to customers within a few blocks. For neighbors looking forward to being able to easily fill a growler of ginger beer, the walk — or ride with your growler basket — will be worth it.
RGB was born at a table at the Broadway Farmers Market and was part of the space at Marshall’s Montana on E Olive Way before she moved manufacturing to SoDo. The first RGB shop opened in July 2013 in Pike Place Market, Meanwhile, Marshall’s Nacho Borracho brought slushy margaritas and Monica Dimas’s in-house taqueria Neon Taco to Broadway in 2014. Dimas is in charge of the frites-focused RGB 12th Ave menu, too.
The new RGB joins U:Don Fresh Noodle Station and its “hand-made, fresh Sanuki-style udon noodle bowls” and Pel Meni Seattle Dumpling Tzar in the new building dedicated to a mix of theater space, nonprofit office space, and affordable housing. U:Don was first to open earlier this spring. The folks at Pel Meni said they hope to complete construction and be open by the end of July in time for Capitol Hill Block Party.
Last year when CHS first reported on the plan for RGB to join the new 12th Ave Arts building, Marshall said she and business partner Adam Peters made the decision to join the Capitol Hill Housing development as part of a calculated next step in the continued growth of the company.
“It’s absolutely a part of our longterm plan,” she said. “We invested a lot in infrastructure
and a lot of resources to ramp up RGB production.”
Marshall said that more than 70 employees now work across her various ventures.
RGB Capitol Hill opens Friday at 1620 12th Ave. It will be open noon to 12 AM daily. You can learn more at rachelsgingerbeer.com.
UPDATE: Here’s what it looks like inside:
Marshall (Images: CHS)
All the best to RGB; it’s great to have a unique business open up in the neighborhood. That being said, her products are pricey, it’ll be interesting to see if she gets enough business to make a go of it.
The ginger beer is worth it, I’m not trying to get phat on the fries though
I’m Did you add an extra word to the title?
That’s what happens when you make a mobile edit at dinner! Oops!