Starbucks has never really been a cool place in my mind. A convenient place to get a coffee (yes, even sometimes in the drive-through), a spot to snatch WiFi, or a even cup and snacks you can rely on but not a destination in its own right. But all that has changed with the Roastery. Housed in a gorgeous historical and architecturally stunning white building, Starbucks has added copper detailing, huge windows and set the whole place aglow from within so walking by on a rainy night you can’t help but wonder what’s going on inside.
To say that it’s a coffee shop, or even a coffee roasters would be a gross understatement. They are calling it both a “one-of-a-kind coffee shrine” and “the Willy Wonka of coffee” but the Coffee Concierge and I shared a pained expression when he introduced himself that way and I am leery of soaking up too much hype. Instead, let me describe it as a sort of part coffee cultural centre and part theme park. Every inch of the place has been thoughtfully considered, with warm golden wood, curved angles and gleaming coffee and their patented *R brand (for reserve) artfully stamped here and there. Everywhere you look something is happening – the entire operation from green bean to espresso shot happens here – and you can see the each stage of the process laid out either on the chalk board wall map or in real life on the factory floor (the best view is from the second floor of the library). Starting in the staging area where the Starbucks Reserve coffee beans are loaded into pneumatic transfer tubes, they then set off on their journey around the roastery; to the storage silos and, when they’re needed, to one of two roasting machines. Then to the giant copper cask for a period of resting and de-gassing before going back in the tubes to be delivered to the main coffee bar (for drinking in house), the scooping bar (for selling bags of coffee) or the export area.
An old railway style “clacker board” displays what’s in the hopper for the day and whirring of that machine along with the conveyor belt did feel a bit chocolate factory-ish in a dramatic and impressive and delightfully nerdy way. It makes you want to spend hours there exploring, and after consulting with the concierge I ordered a shot of Ethiopia Konga and settled in to the main tasting bar with a literary magazine. At one end of the lounge is a fireplace but I could also see the rain outside and combined with the golden light in the room made it feel very cosy despite the walnut wood stools. The espresso was perfect and the elegant tray I was served felt like a small luxury. I also appreciated that the Starbucks Reserve brand makes a commitment to contribute to the community where the coffee comes from but at the end of the such an experience *drinking* the coffee was almost beside the point.
The Roastery is at 1124 Pike Street, in Seattle.
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