[Photo: Brendan Mullally]
Coffee drinkers, you have your opinions. And while the question, "is there any good coffee in Pioneer Square?" remains debatable, the answer will unequivocally be yes when Elm Coffee opens in the neighborhood. The new coffee bar and roaster happens to be moving into a building with some pretty great neighbors: The space is next to Mike Easton's new Pizzeria Gabbiano and is around the corner from Good Bar, the upcoming spot from the owners of Marination.
In case you're still ambivalent, don't be: When Milstead & Co. opened its multi-roaster cafe in 2011 and Slate launched its Ballard coffee bar last year the specialty coffee world started paying attention: Add Elm to the list of local coffee spots embracing lighter roasts and prioritizing customer education.
Owner Brendan Mullally cut his teeth working in Seattle coffee before moving to New York nine years back. He was on staff at Joe for seven years, eventually managing its flagship multi-roaster cafe. Mullally returned to Seattle last October to open Elm; he signed the lease last week.
Former Stumptown roaster Drew Fitchette will be roasting beans, including Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffees with a few special Kenyans, in the back of the space on a Probat 12 kilo. Baristas will pull shots in the front of the house on a Linea, the workhorse of La Marzocco's line of espresso machines.
Mullally is designing the seating area with less of the laptop crowd in mind. "I want it to be super fun to hang out and chat," he says, either at a long marble bar or at one of 26 seats. There will also be outdoor seating.
If the schedule holds, Elm will be open by the end of September. Hours will be around 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m to 6 p.m. on the weekend. Stay close for opening day details.
· Elm Coffee [Facebook]
· All First Word Coverage [Eater Seattle]
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