Freshly brewed coffee and baked goods now greet passersby on First Hill thanks to Piedmont Café, a new addition to the neighborhood’s hangouts that echoes with the area’s time before the massive health complexes and high-rise apartment and condo buildings. Nestled in a historic building with a storied past, the café is bringing life to the long ago hotel lobby.
“This building was formerly a hotel,” co-owner Charles Scott explained, pointing out the unique layout of the space. “This part was once a plant shop and formerly a storage facility.” The new cafe space now takes over what was the original lobby for the hotel. “For the last 60 years, I guess since ’62, it was sold and made into the Tuscany Apartments. Part of it was even the cafeteria for the charter school a couple blocks away.”
The Seneca Street site was once the Piedmont Apartment Hotel, “with exuberant colored tile and elegant ornament” from one of Seattle’s most prominent architects, the city’s entry on the historically significant structure reads.
Scott and his partner took on the challenge of transforming the historic building into a cozy and inviting café. “We built out the bar, added a floating wall for the storage area, and built out the dish area.” Hoping to keep the space feeling old and comfy, all the furniture was bought used, except for the two couches. “We resurfaced the tables and restored a nice hutch we got from Gig Harbor.”
Scott emphasizes the attention to detail that went into the café’s design. “We put 36 smart light bulbs in there (hanging church-style lights) so we can adjust the ambiance. It’s all about making the space feel welcoming and like it belongs here.”
Piedmont Café offers a simple menu of coffee, tea, and baked goods, but there are plans to grow and offer more.
“We get all of our coffee from Café Vita” Scott said. “All of our baked goods come from Macrina Bakery. We considered other sources but aimed to keep the menu moderately priced.”
As they perfect recipes for popular drinks like their robust London fog, Scott and his partner are also looking ahead to new offerings. “We’re planning to add breakfast sandwiches and simple menu items as we expand our prep space and get a high-temperature dishwasher,” he said.
The team is also working on securing a beer and wine license to extend their hours. “Once that’s in place, we’ll probably be open until about 8 PM and start hosting private events and buyouts,” Scott said.
Though the café has only been open for a few weeks, people get the feeling the cafe has been there — forever.
“Everybody’s loved it so far,” Scott said. “People walk by and come in, asking, ‘How long have you been here?’ and they’re surprised when I tell them, ‘Just three weeks.’ They’re worried that they’ve walked by us for years.”
Piedmont Cafe is located at 1215 Seneca. Learn more at piedmontseattle.com.
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I always loved the windows of that building and looking forward to enjoying coffee inside. Congrats to the Piedmont Cafe. Looks gorgeous.
Stopped by here the other day and absolutely loved the vibe. Glad to have a coffee place I can support other than the union-busting Starbucks.
Hope you’re as adamantly against the tip credit for small businesses that most folks here wanted to keep in order to continue screwing over workers
what are talking about? Of course I’m against the tip credit. Personally I think the minimum wage should be $35/hour
cool no issue then as long as it’s available for all workers no matter the employer
I love these keyboard warriors who go on about their insistence that all employers pay workers fair wages, while typing on a product made in sweatshops by women earning $34 a month. I bet you’re also the guy who complains about how expensive things are. You’re as silly as the Trump supporter who thinks deporting illegal immigrants will somehow not affect the cost of groceries.
“while typing on a product made in sweatshops by women earning $34 a month”
okay…that’s not true.
Look up Foxconn.
And there’s this from the Wikipedia on Apple’s Supply Chain: In February 2020, a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute listed Apple as a company that was “potentially directly or indirectly benefiting” from forced Uyghur labor. In 2020, Apple lobbyists tried to weaken the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a U.S. bill against forced labor in Xinjiang, China.
In 2020, The Information reported that Apple discovered on multiple occasions that one of its Chinese-suppliers, Suyin Electronics, relied on child labor, but took three years to fully cut ties with the company. Ten former members of Apple’s supplier responsibility team said that Apple has been slow to cut ties with other suppliers that repeatedly violate Apple’s labor policies when doing so would decrease profits.
I know what FOXCONN is…ONE case does not an entire argument make.
They had nets under dorm windows to prevent suicides. That kinda crap. Fact is that they make a decent living for their economy.
Furthermore. Offshore labor is always cheaper than American labor. That’s why jobs leave America.
In short? You can make your statement about almost everything on the planet.
Then here’s you…
“I love these keyboard warriors who go on about their insistence that all employers pay workers fair wages”
Really? Are you against fair wages? Or simply trolling? Because it’s a false premise you use to make your argument.
It’s not a false premise at all. Again, go read about Apple’s supply chain. I presented you with one example so as not to write a book here, but you can look up the multitude of unfair labor practices the companies Apple uses to make the products you, as a consumer, buy. It’s fair to call that out.
As the friend of several former small business owners from the middle and working class, I’m opposed to the fact that it is no longer sustainable for them to run their businesses because of the exorbitant costs placed on them that the city’s progressives have done nothing to address. I don’t want the only businesses in our neighborhood that exist to be run by rich people and/or to be soulless chains. In the 90s, you could be a regular working class person and open a really great shop on Capitol Hill. They’ve almost all closed because that’s no longer viable. And it’s frustrating that instead of progressives acknowledging that reality, they choose to vilify small business owners, especially when they’re hypocrites who buy fast fashion and support these tech companies and their unfair labor laws.
then let’s allow more immigration, yes?
i would like open borders and 100x the number of immigrants here. my ideal would be no minimum wage to allow truly decreasing global inequality, but if we’re going to have one it should be consistent across all employers
How about instead of $35/hour minimum wage, we have affordable housing, free health care and education?
Why the number $35?
Looking forward to visiting the new nearest cafe in my neighborhood (the megabux/former Utrecht doesn’t count)!
Vita and Macrina. Ground breaking!
😂😂😂😂
Fantastic news about them planning later hours with expanding menus and drinks. Very cute space and well needed for the area.
Oh this looks great, I would have loved it when I was living up on First Hill.
You should be incredibly proud brother. It’s a stunning space you’ve created.
Be good to your people and they will break their backs for you.
I went again today it was Popping!!!!! Lots of customers coming and going and enjoying the space, I wish them well.
Looks fantastic! I look forward to going there when they offer more food options, sandwiches, soups, etc.
But but but I was told places had to close not open! Due to wages! /s