Tag Archives: Black Coffee Northwest

Community

Black Coffee Northwest Comes to the Central District

The Black-owned coffee shop will take over the old Starbucks space later this fall.

by Jas Keimig

After almost a year without the comforting smell of coffee and buzzing community connections, the corner of South Jackson Street and 23rd Avenue will finally be home to a coffee spot once again. Last week, Shoreline’s Black Coffee Northwest (BCNW) announced that it would be expanding to the Central District in fall, into the Vulcan Real Estate building formerly occupied by Starbucks. For the Black family-owned coffee shop, which has been slinging espresso on Aurora Avenue since 2020, this acquisition is a major step forward.

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Arts & Culture

Sistah Scifi’s Book Vending Machine Comes to the Northwest African American Museum

by Jas Keimig

Tucked into a corner in Shoreline’s Black-owned Black Coffee Northwest (BCNW), sits a bright blue and purple vending machine. This vending machine isn’t like other vending machines, stuffed with stale Fritos and old Rice Krispie treats. Instead, it’s filled with science-fiction books by Black authors — just swipe your credit card, and a book by Nichelle Nichols or Octavia Butler is all yours. 

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Community

Black Coffee Launches Youth Internship Programs for Resume Development and Social Justice

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by Alexa Peters

To say that Black Coffee Northwest, a new Shoreline-based Black-owned coffee shop, has had a tumultuous first six months would be an understatement.

Last October, right before their grand opening in the middle of a pandemic, Black Coffee Northwest was the victim of a racially motivated Molotov cocktail attack. Only a month ago, their property was defaced with swastikas. At the same time, the line for their drive-thru consistently wraps around the block, and concerned community members are actively donating money, supplies, and even volunteering to keep watch in the shop’s parking lot to prevent future attacks.

“We have people that are supporting us, people that are showing up. It’s also showing that there are people that … want this community to be better,” said Black Coffee Northwest co-owner Darnesha Weary. “And that pisses [our opponents] off even more.”

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Voices

‘Black and Center’ Holiday Gift and Giving Guide!

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by Jasmine J. Mahmoud

Before the pandemic, my two favorite places to shop for holiday gifts were Kinokuniya Seattle and Pike Place Market. At Kinokuniya, the bright, densely-packed Japanese bookstore in Uwajimaya Village, I browsed children’s books, comics, magazines, and stationery for hours. At Pike Place Market, I beelined to the Herban Farm stand, founded by Ras Levi Peynado, a Seattleite with Jamaican Roots who farms and dries his products. There, I would test-smell the fragrant seasonings, rubs, and salves, while staring at ferry boats crossing Elliott Bay, before buying gifts for family members. Among favorites were Pike Place Herbs (an all purpose seasoning), the paprika-rich Seatown Smoke (“BBQ in a jar”), and the floral Lavender Sea Salt.

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