PCC and H Mart Plan Grocery Stores Downtown

Welcome back to Eater News, a semi-regular round-up of mini news bites. Have info to share? Email intel to seattle@eater.com.

• PCC Community Markets will open a store downtown, anchoring the new Rainier Square tower set to open in 2020 as the city’s second-tallest building. Meanwhile, despite years of delays, Asian grocer H Mart could finally land downtown late this year.
• Starbucks is now offering 90-minute public tours (along with tastings, of course) of its Costa Rican coffee farm for $25.
• To increase sales during the normally slow post-lunch stretch, the coffee giant is also testing digital menus at some locations, which will switch the items shown depending on the time of day.
• A recent scan of liquor license applications shows Shoreline is getting a new brewery called Monka Brewing Company, South Town Pie is opening at 8611 14th Ave S in South Park, and a restaurant called Mr. Saigon is moving into the former home of University Market and Deli at 12th and Columbia.
• And Vine and Spoon, the full-service restaurant sibling to West Seattle cocktail bar Alchemy, appears to be moving forward again: Originally slated to open in fall 2016, the restaurant also applied for its liquor license recently.
• Former Bar Ferdinand co-owner Marc Papineau is launching Cantina Sauvage, an open-ended way for him to consult, sell wine directly, host wine events showcasing small producers of natural wines, and perhaps more. The first event, on March 13, features appetizers from Jay Blackinton of Aelder and Hogstone’s Wood Oven on Orcas Island.