85°C Bakery Unleashes Uber-Popular Sweets on Lynnwood

Ultra-hot Taiwanese chain 85°C Bakery just opened its second Seattle location on September 1 at 18700-A 33rd Ave. W., across from the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, and the company says a third venue is coming to Bellevue by the end of the year. Prior to the grand opening on September 15, the shop is operating with limited hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. As with the company’s other locations, including Washington’s first outpost at the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, lines started forming in Lynnwood as soon as word got out that the doors were open.

Though slightly smaller than the Southcenter flagship opened in February, the Lynnwood bakery offers the same pastry line-up as its counterparts. Nicknamed the “Starbucks of Taiwan” for its staggering ubiquity and rabid following, 85°C specializes in such treats as iced sea salt coffee and fresh breads and pastries like the “calamari stick” — a squid ink-based bread roll with Swiss cheese inside and garlic spread on top — as well as Asian-style brioche buns infused with fruit and Western-style sweets like apple pie and macarons.

85°C Bakery was recently recognized by Restaurant Business as the 18th fastest-growing small concept restaurant in the U.S. The number one spot went to The Halal Guys, another red-hot chain that just landed in Seattle, inspiring its own long lines.

The grand opening shindig kicks off in Lynnwood on September 15 at 9 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and, as is typical of these openings, coffee available for only 10 cents. The shop will also give away free mugs and tote bags throughout that weekend.

The operating hours will be a little all over the map for now:

• September 15: 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• September 16: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• September 17: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Starting September 18, regular hours will go into effect, with the bakery open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m, Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.