Royal Drummer Bringing Single-Origin Coffee and Food Pairings to Ballard

Bauhaus may be bowing out of Ballard, but upcoming coffee shop Royal Drummer is in the works at 6420 24th Ave NW.

The cafe is a joint venture of longtime Seattle cafe owner Jill Killen, owner of Cloud City Coffee and El Diablo Coffee, and coffee expert Neil Oney, a former manager of Tougo Coffee and Trabant Coffee, now at El Diablo. The cafe, expected to open in the spring, will bring seasonal pastries and full-course dishes along with coffee, beer, and wine.

"We've described Royal Drummer as 'experiential' because we want to encourage customers to try specialty, single-source roasts alongside carefully paired dishes—dishes intended to showcase the individuality of the coffee offerings," the team says. "And the staff of Royal Drummer will be at the ready to describe and explicate the unique nature of each offering in a way we hope provides RD customers a premium coffee experience."

The cafe will source its single-origin beans from roasters around the country. Food will include pastries baked in house, daily rotating doughnut selections, and Cloud City's popular coconut bread. They're also planning a morning happy hour for commuters; a full-course, regionally inspired restaurant menu; and savory afternoon snacks like French fries with a range of dips.

Royal Drummer takes its name from an infamous Parisian tavern frequented by Louis XV and Marie Antoinette.

Construction starts later this month, and the team is preparing to open a coffee cart in early January to give patrons a sneak peek.