Seattle didn’t really need another coffee company but last fall it got Stumptown Coffee, a smallish outfit that sells a novel local coffee bean. By local, I mean “local”, of course. No one’s growing coffee trees in this kale-and-lentil climate. But the Portland, Oregon-based outfit does its roasting here in the Northwest, and the proximity makes for a fresh and intensely aromatic product. The coffee is as good as any, and as a drinker of decaf, I think I’m qualified to discuss taste.
The original Stumptown outpost is on 12th Avenue in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, just south of Madison, and Charlie regularly stops by on his way to work. On a recent visit he learned that these folks are about to begin roasting beans at this location, which should make it easier to find the stuff around town. It isn’t the cheapest, but Stumptown employees make a living wage, which in my book means health insurance, and that makes the price begin to look pretty darn reasonable.
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February 18, 2008 at 5:41 pm
justin wilmore
What do you mean by “local”? Do you think they are the only coffee company roasting here in Seattle? Vivaci, Lighthouse, Caffe Vita, Herkimer, Victrola, and others are all roasting here too, which makes them just as “local”. Just curious what you meant.
February 18, 2008 at 9:11 pm
audrey
It’s a good point. I wrote about this particular company because it provides all of its employees with health insurance and I think that’s a mark of sustainability. Further info on the companies you mention would be welcome.