If my interview with Roy Street Coffee and Tea manager Jacob Webber taught me anything, it’s that despite being a much better coffee shop than your typical Starbucks, Roy Street Coffee and Tea is still a Starbucks.

Jacob describes the store as his “pipe dream,” and seemed really excited about all the new features they’re trying out in the store, like their new Synesso espresso machine, and a pull down movie screen to host film showings for local filmmakers.  He said a lot of positive things and really seemed committed to making the concept work.  

On the other hand, Jacob said he didn’t know much about Capitol Hill, he didn’t have much to say about the well established coffee scene on the Hill, beyond “they make great coffee”, and he didn’t offer direct responses to any of the criticism they’ve been getting from many in the community -- namely that it's disingenuous to not display the Starbucks name, and the clipboard observers that were...

We reported over the weekend about the preparations to open the second 'secret' Starbucks on Capitol Hill taking an odd step backward -- a worker painted over a recently completed Roy Street Coffee sign above the new shop. No matter. Starbucks says it's a go for a Wednesday opening. Here's our favorite line from the media announcement, below:

Like other new stores we’ve opened recently – 1st and Pike and University Village in Seattle, Paris Disney and Conduit Street in London, this coffeehouse is a celebration of the community’s personality and values.

Capitol Hill is just like Paris Disney. Here's the announcement:

On Wednesday, Starbucks will open our new Roy Street Coffee & Tea, inspired by Starbucks, in Seattle, WA.  In the same spirit as 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea, Roy Street Coffee & Tea is a new concept coffeehouse that reflects the local neighborhood’s values and personality and celebrates the Pacific Northwest’s coffee heritage, materials and artists.

Like other new stores we’ve opened recently – 1st and Pike and University Village in Seattle, Paris Disney and Conduit Street in London, this coffeehouse is a celebration of the community’s personality and values. Like all new Starbucks stores, whether they are Starbucks branded or the new concept stores, Roy Street Coffee & Tea uses regional materials, features the work of local artists and is designed for sustainability. We look forward to being a part of the vibrant and resurgent Broadway neighborhood when Roy Street Coffee & Tea opens on Wednesday.

We invite you to a media preview event tomorrow with Major Cohen and Liz Muller from Starbucks Global Development team as they discuss the design and construction strategies behind the new concept. As the second store in Starbucks LEED® Volume Certification pilot program (announced just last week), Tony Gail with Starbucks Environmental Impact team, will also be onsite to discuss Starbucks goal is to significantly reduce its environmental footprint through green construction, energy and water conservation, and recycling. Additionally, store manager, Jacob Webber, will be available to discuss the Roy Street Coffee & Tea’s connection to the surrounding neighborhood.

You might recall that the opening of the company's first stealth 'indie'-styled cafe on 15th Ave inspired a few shenanigans. We'll see what happens at Roy and Broadway on Wednesday morning.

An unexpected scene for a new business gearing up for their opening -- the freshly painted sign for Roy Street Coffee is being painted back over this afternoon by the same man we saw creating the large white letters earlier this week. Not sure what was behind the paint over. The marketing folks were excited by the sign. Perhaps the coffee giant is changing its mind about opening its second Stealthbucks on the Hill. More likely, somebody in corporate didn't like the look. We'll probably have to wait for a leaked memo to find out.

When Capitol Hill's second stealth Starbucks (AKA Roy St Coffee and Tea) opens in the 700 Broadway building, it won't be sharing the inconspicuous, bubble filled entry way with FedEx Office next door.  Crews have installed stairs for what looks like a new, more prominent entrance on the Broadway side of the building (facing SW).  

The inside still looks about how it looked over a month ago, with none of the interior in place. 

And for those of you that hang out in the twitters, it looks like @RoyStCoffee is on there too, although they haven't tweeted anything yet.

A thief with a sweet tooth hit the Online Coffee shop late Monday night. Here is the report from the SPD blotter:

On 10/5/09, at approximately 11:05 p.m., the suspect walked into a Coffee shop in the 1400 block of E. Pine St and asked the clerk for a brownie.  The clerk went and retrieved the brownie and when she returned, the suspect handed her a note.  The clerk took cash from the till, and gave it to the suspect.  He fled eastbound on E Pine.

As officers were responding to the call, they saw a subject fitting the description in the 1600 block of 15 AV.  That subject was standing behind a car, with the trunk open, and he was changing clothes.  When the officer  turned around to contact him, the subject was gone and the trunk was closed.  The vehicle was impounded it to the processing room.

The suspect is described as a black male, 6 feet tall, approximately 230 pounds, and bald head.

NWRBC '09
Originally uploaded by Lay-Luh

And he's not even from Seattle. Billy Wilson runs his own shop in Portland. Sunday, Wilson became a three-time winner of the Northwest Regional Barista Competition at this weekend's Coffee Fest tradeshow in Seattle.

Thanks to flickr user Lay-Luh for her picture of the top three finishers:
1st: Billy Wilson, BARISTA (right)
2nd: Andrew Milstead, Urban Coffee Lounge (middle)
3rd: Laila Ghambari, Urban Coffee Lounge (left)

Wilson was also NW champion in 2007 and 2008 and, as you can see in this picture from a big win down in Vegas in 2005, is used to getting large checks for his creations at latte competitions. Way to go, Billy. He'll now automatically advance to the national semifinals at the 2010 United States Barista Championship held in Anaheim in April.

Meanwhile, the list of finalists included baristi from Portland and Kirkland -- but nobody from Cap Hill made this year's finals.

Fuel and High 5's Dani Cone

Some startups make silly stuff like community news software . Some make pie.

At Thursday night's invitation only party in her flagship 19th Ave coffeeshop, Fuel owner Dani Cone announced she's taking the High 5 Pie concept to another level. With tabletops filled with bottles of wine and, of course, platters of High 5 pocket pies, Cone held court as partygoers leafed through slick binders describing the startup's business plan and read about an interesting offer -- High 5 Pie is looking for investors.

At the heart of the concept is a High 5 Pie shop with a kitchen to turn out the pastries and a cafe for customers to hang out an enjoy the treat along with some Fuel coffee. There's no location for the new store yet but the plan describes the requirements for the space including a dense, urban population -- Capitol Hill, check -- and plenty of on street parking -- Capitol Hill, un-check. But at the party, Cone told CHS that the Hill she started Fuel on is also where she'd like to launch High 5. The plan calls for High 5 to be operating by January 1, 2010.

Before you start planning your 2010 of pie, High 5 needs to raise some cash. That's where the interesting offer comes in. Cone is offering up 36% of the company to outside investors. What's it cost to get a piece of High 5 Pie? You'll have to contact Cone yourself. We've been asked to remove the financial information from this post and we've complied because of some misunderstanding about the situation. (EDITED 9/18/09 10:15 PM)

Hard to say what the investment outlook is for pie but cool to see a local business looking to be more. CHS is currently reviewing its own business plan to examine synergies between truly local community news and information and pie.

Victrola Coffee is providing a live stream of images from tonight's pre-qualifying Barista Jam Latte Art Smackdown that CHS wrote about earlier this week. Without commentary from the judges, it amounts to little more than latte porn. But it's kinda getting me all perked up and ready for my day just looking at it. Here's a slideshow of pours marked 'winner' in the stream (which I assume means that particular cup won in its round of foam vs. foam battling). I've sorted the images by 'interestingness' for your enjoyment. I'll have to check in with Victrola to find out who was declared the victor.

UPDATE:
Here's the list of finalists:

Top ten results from the smackdown on Saturday night. (Listed by points earned)

1. Winner Chuck Lambert #7 - Victrola - won the tournament and received the highest score with 84.25
2. Kelleen Blanchard #3 - Victrola - 75
3. Michael Lewis #1 - Victrola - 75
4. Jeremy McDermott #2 - Victrola - 76
5. Stephen Robinson #24 - Victrola - 76
6. Tom Pikaart #4 - Tougo - 78
7. Alex Negranza #27 - Why Not Coffee - 78
8. Laila Ghambari #13 - VCL - 78.25
9. Nick Harberg #23 - Zoka Coffee & Tea - 82.5
10. Winner Chuck Lambert #7 - Victrola - won the tournament and received the highest score with 84.25

Joe Bar
Originally uploaded by Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley

CHS broke the news a few weeks back that Starbucks was set to open yet another 'neighborhood coffee house' in the 700 Broadway building.

Now we know what they plan to call the joint. Starbucks passed along this internal memo detailing some of the strategy around the next of their concept shops to hit Capitol Hill. 

Hey Joe Bar, meet your new neighbor Roy Street Coffee & Tea.

Here's some explanation of the strategy behind the name and more from the Starbucks memo:

We shared details of the e-mail with the owner of the independent coffee house that also makes its home on Roy Street. Joe Bar's Wylie Bush said the details only make him sad to see what Starbucks has become. "I have to give Starbucks some credit," Bush said. "They spurred coffee in Seattle to begin with. Now it's sad. It's so depressing."

So far, Bush says, there have been no signs of the infamous note-taking Starbucks employees casing Joe Bar for inspiration for the new shop's design. "As soon as I start seeing green walls I might get a little more bummed out," Bush said.

Bush said he hasn't talked to anybody from Starbucks about the new shop yet and he doesn't yet have any plans for changing his business. He's also torn by the situation -- it's bad for his business but good for that area of Broadway not to have an empty retail space. "The last thing I want to see is another coffee shop on Broadway," Bush said. "At the same time just having that space filled is better."

Bush said he also worries about his younger clientele having to make decisions based on price and being lured away if Starbucks is able to undercut Joe Bar on the price of a cup of coffee. "People make their choices," Bush said. "Hopefully the small indies can survive when the big corporations are mimicking us to the point that you can't tell the difference."

When I first saw this poster, I had a couple of questions. Not about the Barista Jam to be held at Visions in SODO - a day of coffee workshops seems pretty straightforward to me.  But how exactly does one hold a Latte Art Smackdown?  And why does this one deserve capital letters?

"Victrola hosts latte art smackdowns on a regular basis - pour-offs", said Sarah Jane Hoppe, manager of the I-5 shores Victrola, "This Smackdown is a pre-qualifying round for Seattle baristas only for September's event at Coffee Fest, which is versus L.A." Sarah Jane explained that "like any self-respecting coffee establishment", only freepour latte art was allowed, and that the baristas would compete tournament style, with two baristas pouring at once and presenting their lattes at the same time to judges and the webcams. "This is also a practice run for September, when the judges won't be in Seattle", said Sarah Jane.  Judges will be looking for the symmetry, contrast, and definition in the latte art patterns, and I assume,...

The cafe formerly known as Circadia
Originally uploaded by Sam Pullara

Sound familiar?

Through its latest venture ... Starbucks is experimenting with a completely different approach to java. A swift departure from Starbucks' sparse, no-nonsense ambiance, this 3,100-square-foot coffeehouse is graced with antique furnishings, red velvet curtains and well-worn couches. More than just a place to grab a cup of joe, ... also boasts complete breakfast, lunch and dinner menus; a full liquor bar; live music; Internet access from many tables and a private meeting place called the Green Room. This cross between a neighborhood coffeehouse, a restaurant and a bar caters to a hip, urban crowd, many of whom have shunned Starbucks in the past. It's also a place where customers can sink into a comfy couch, sip a mocha or martini, and stay awhile.

The above was written for Entrepreneur Magazine 10 years ago. June 1999.

Via CurbedSF, comes this reminder that history repeats. Starbucks launched the Circadia Coffee House brand in San Francisco at the turn of the millennium. The concept morphed into the Starbucks Cafes that also soon were either shut down or converted into regular Starbucks outlets. So, is what we're seeing down the street at 15th Ave Coffee & Tea the same thing all over again?

Victrola Coffee owner Dan Ollis thinks so.

"You don't know what is going to be going behind the butcher paper," Ollis said of his initial apprehension about the new Starbucks venture moving into Victrola's neighborhood. "We're doing fine. It's a beautiful store. They've clearly spent a lot of money and we're flattered to have been immitated," Ollis said.

"Victrola has customers that are so loyal that they feel like protective parents so they've gone over to check the new place out. But they come back to report what they saw. It's great."

Ollis said that during the first week, he and the Victrola staff got caught up in the hype around 15th Ave Coffee & Tea but now they're getting back to concentrating on Victrola. "I'm still waiting for Howard to call, though," said Ollis, who parlayed his Whidbey Island Coffee company into his own PNW mini-empire when he purchased Victrola in February 2008. In the meantime, Ollis said he has no need and no plans to change what Victrola does.

The same can't be said about the rest of his caffeine empire. Ollis said a little bit of Capitol Hill has been spreading out across his other stores. "We are now teaching latte art to all the Whidbey staff," Ollis said. "But I don't know how much of the crossover is going to happen. Each area has its own quirks."

Soon, the world will see more Starbucks-es in indie clothing. In fact, it seems that, soon, the world will see two right here on Capitol Hill.

File this one in the rumor mill but CHS has found a rather interesting liquor application for a business listed at 700 Broadway East.

Coffee House Holdings Inc. is at it again:

Liquor license action details
Location     700 Broadway Ave. E.
Application date     August 4, 2009
Applicant     COFFEE HOUSE HOLDINGS, INC.; RUBINFELD, ARTHUR; MALANGA, MICHAEL; FINK, MICHAEL P; LAUTCH, RICHARD H
License number     405270
Event type     New application
License types     Restaurant — beer and wine
Action type     New liquor license application

CHH is the same entity Starbucks used to apply for the licenses and permits for 15th Ave Coffee and Tea before it opened to curiosity and animosity.

Also, while investigating this story about a possible move for the Broadway post office, CHS was told that the developer of the 700 Broadway Apartments had been negotiating with Starbucks to rent the large retail space next to Kinko's. As one might say, ah hah! Caught you!

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It's late and that's all we got but the gets are pretty good. One obvious question is which local businesses the Broadway Coffee and Tea (ok, we made that name up!) will draw its inspiration from. We're pulling for the nearby Museum of Mysteries. You?

UPDATE: Our calls to Starbucks media relations seeking to confirm the new shop were not returned.

We know that corporate behomeths need all the coverage they can get from neighborhood blogs.  In the spirit of this noble mission, we wanted to draw your attention to some of the best coverage we have come across so far:

• quick & dirty (some might say pithy) CHS post on what you need to know about the Starbucks on 15th (including an exclusive disclosure you will not see in other media)
• video tour above by the Seattle Times Melissa Allison who sets out all the Starbucks talking points in her piece
• joshc over at Seattle Metblogs has a great post and an extensive set of nice photos
• SMOOVEBCOFFEE sums it up: "What is notable? A store conceived and constructed by Starbucks can now be uttered in the same breath as the nation's other premier coffee purveyors"
• Another nice set of photos over at the PI from Joshua Trujillo

Dirty Originally uploaded by beatnikside

Hey, did you hear about the new neighborhood coffeeshop opening Friday?

Say what you will about Starbucks' spawn 15th Ave Coffee and Tea, they'll have at least one feature that most will agree is a good opportunity: a community bulletin board. Another place to hang your dog walking offers, housesitting in France ads, and multi-level marketing deals. I've even stuck a few CHS biz cards on a neighborhood corkboard or two, driving, I'm sure, 10s to the site over the years.

This morning, I got a phone call from Michelle, who is helping to design the location for Starbucks. I didn't ask her about this or this. Because she called me and needed help.

The Starbucks 15th Ave Coffee and Tea community bulletin board is empty and they would like it filled. Please stop by 328 15th Ave E today with your flyers, posters, postcards, business cards and papers of various forms. Ask for Michelle.

Ever since the Fargonian Coffeehouse closed, I have felt the lack of a neighborhood coffeehouse in Miller Park (admittedly there's Fuel but I like to have options). About a month ago, Cafe Char opened shop a few doors southwest of where the Fargonian was and the Bottleneck Lounge is. Here is a small description from Charnita Baseden, the proprietress and often the barista:

Cafe Char is family owned and its purpose is to provide a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for the neighborhood to relax, get away, socialize and even entertain with a good cup of coffee or whatever is their choice of drink. Our focus is espresso but we have a variety of beverages such as teas, smoothies, lemonade, italian soda and bottled beverages. We also provide pastries, fresh baked cookies and breakfast quiche. We are also up for comments and suggestions on how to better your neighborhood's coffee shop.

They have just started up (the art was not yet on the wall when I walked in a couple of days ago). I'm excited to have them in the...

Should be a big day on Capitol Hill. Block party kicks off. And 15th Ave Tea and Coffee opens its doors for the first time.

Be there Friday morning to say welcome?

Understand if you won't.

Xciting, no?

Earlier this week, I reported on the "closing" of the 15th avenue Starbucks.  As Andrew Taylor and linder seattle noted in the comments, the store will still be managed by Starbucks when it reopens. Starbucks PR confirmed this (in their own corporate speak). When asked about the status of the 15th Avenue store, Anna Kim-Williams, Corporate Communications Manager at Starbucks, responded:  "The store is currently being renovated and will not be open during the renovation. We do plan to reopen the coffeehouse in late July so that we can maintain our deep connection with the local community."

Rumors of the 15th Avenue Starbucks' death are true.  When Starbucks announced their initial round of store closures nearly a year ago, the 15th Avenue store was on the initial closure list.  The CHS community had mixed emotions regarding Loretta Donnelly's efforts to save the store.  Local journo C.R. Douglas was a fan.  Though Loretta and her supporters achieved a temporary stay from closure in 2008, it looks as if 2009 (and Starbucks' declining growth) proved fatal. 

Update: I know I recently saw this location on a list of Seattle-area Starbucks that would be closed but cannot locate the link.  But based on linder seattle's DPD info below - I think it's safe to say it will be a Starbucks no more.  Have a phone call into both permit applicants for clarification.

In a recent CHS post, we wrote about the interesting business community developing in the 14th and Pine area of Capitol Hill's Hilltop zone. Add a new player to that mix. I saw Zach (or could be Zack -- we don't know yet!) at the top of ladder affixing a line of letters to the building on 14th Ave where Blue Sky Cleaners has recently opened up shop. P O R C H L I G, I think it read at the time I was walking by.

The guy on the ladder said Porchlight Coffee will -- if all the remaining work like letter affixing goes smoothly -- open up in a few weeks. They will serve Greenwood Ave's Herkimer Coffee, bagels and pastries and are promising some vegan alternatives for you vegan alternatives.

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Spotted this nice piece about how well Kaladi Brothers is doing in its first location outside Alaska.  They have been here for three years now.  I had to admit that I had my doubts that Capitol Hill would embrace Stumptown much less Kaladi the way that we have.  Kaladi's biggest concern and expense is roasting the coffee in Alaska and then flying it down - they have had a difficult time finding a roaster.  I guess it's difficult for them to find a roaster that they do not compete with?

Upon reflection, I think my latte pour this morning may be an insult.

What's your call? Lewd or misshapen?

Both?

(barista shall remain anonymous to protect the, um, innocent)

Guess this isn't really a coffee table book. More of a coffee on the run to catch your bus book. Or coffee on a rainy Saturday in a crowded but comfortable cafe book. Fuel Coffee owner and pie entrepreneur Dani Cone's new Tall Skinny Bitter: Notes from the center of coffee culture is a guide to Seattle's caffeine hot spots and hot topics. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of Capitol Hill in it. So much Capitol Hill, in fact, that Sasquatch books has given us three copies to give away to CHS neighbors. Just leave a comment with your typical caffeine delivery method (double short latte here, thanks) -- first three get a book.

Here's the Joe Bar page to give you a flavor for Cone's tome -- you can also check out the copy I paged through at Fuel 19th looking, feverishly, for my name. Lame. I didn't get a mention. You?

Below, please find recent reports of criminal and police activity in the area of the East Precinct surrounding Capitol Hill. Information is gathered from Seattle Police Department media reports, scanner activity and online sources such as Twitter. Something we missed? Let CHS know

Recent Capitol Hill Police Activity - CDN Scanner Reports

Monday Feb 23
CHS Report: 9:36PM - 300 block E. Thomas - Indecent Exposure - A woman described as 'highly intoxicated' was arrested for exposing herself and masturbating on a grassy strip by the sidewalk across from an apartment building. Suspect is described in the report as a repeat offender.

Tuesday Feb 24
3:53PM - 1700 E Aloha St - Disturbance - Man tried to get in a DHL truck and drive off unsuccessfully, white male, cream jacket, dirty blonde hair

Wednesday Feb 25
1:21PM - 300 Broadway E - Trespassing - Manager of the Red Light wants a man and woman trespassed from his property.

CHS Report: 2:15PM - 400 block Broadway - Theft - Putting on...

To add to the rash of smaller scale Cap Hill crime reports this week -- BB guns, wayward dogs, wallet grabs vs. club shootings -- we heard that Fuel on 19th Ave had been robbed recently. Owner Dani Cone confims via e-mail:
It is true :( around 3am sat morning someone broke in. The person broke through the lock on our front door and came in to help themselves...you'll notice our nice new (salvaged from the ReStore) door though! No one was hurt, which is the most important thing of all.

I'm checking in with SPD to see what they know and find out more about how much was stolen.