It’s going to take more than a good rain or a smudge stick to cleanse the lot at 45th and Corliss of the evil spirits of Payday Loans. Fortunately, Peter Noble has some powerful mojo: he’s got the “unique alchemy of the Velvet Foam”.
In about a week or two (pending permits and such), there’s going to be a new coffee shop on 45th Street: Uptown Espresso. It’s the eighth in the locally owned chain, but where the other seven are owned by founder Dow Lucurell, this one is co-owned by Dow and his long-time friend and new refugee from the corporate world, Peter Noble.
Why would someone leave a well-paying job in this economy to enter the admittedly crowded world of Seattle coffeeshops? Peter explained that after years of meetings and reports and recommendations, he wanted to own and build something of his own. He’s known Dow for decades, and he decided the time had come for him to make a change in his life.
So that’s the easy question. The harder question: with A Muddy Cup, Tully’s, Starbucks, Fuel, Chocolati and Caffe Appassionatto all within an easy walk, what’s going to make Uptown Espresso stand-out?
“No question: it’s the Velvet Foam,” Peter explained. “You’ve got to try to believe it. I remember there was one woman who’d never tried it because she couldn’t have dairy. So we made it with soy. She took one sip, put the cup down and picked up a fork. That’s how thick it is. It’s transcendent.”
The interior of the shop is long and shallow, just enough room for folks to line up along the counter and then take their drinks back out: there’s no interior seating. On the other hand, since they’re situated on the north side of the street and on the back of the lot, it’s ideal for sunny outdoor seating, which they say they’ll have plenty of. “We’re making a significant investment in landscape, interior and details … to create an atmosphere the neighborhood can be proud of,” Peter told us.
Peter was quick to add that he’s going to be on-site most of the time, so if anyone has any comments, questions or feedback, just stop in and let him personally. Also, they’re hiring!
Want to try the Velvet Foam? Pete gave us a small stack of cards good for one free double tall latte (or drink of equal value) to give away to our readers. We’ll give one away to the first three people who click “Like” on this post on our Facebook page.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Pete and Dow!
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Between the new patio and what they’ve done with the parking lot, they really are transforming that area. The position of the driveways are a perennial concern, tho – we walk there everyday, and have almost gotten mowed down several times by people flying in/out of 45th. That’s life in the big city, tho.
with no inside seats, how well is the place going to do during the rainy 9 months of the year? is morning drive-by coffee enough of a business? I would have thought that the college students studying / avid blogger crowd is a fairly large source of income for coffee shops.
It’s a good question, Sharad, we’ll see. On the other hand, it’s on 45th St and has a parking lot, which makes it perfect for someone who wants to pick up a cup on the way to work. Too bad it’s on the north side of the street, so folks heading to I-5 will have to cross and recross traffic…
The Velvet Foam is the best..I am looking forward to it……
Not a coffee drinker, but I LOVE the pastries at the other locations.
Keep us posted on the actual opening date?
AND…will there be a neighborhood preview party/Grand Opening event or something like that???
so they make all their lattes like wet cappuccinos?
There’s a fine line between a very wet cappuccino and an extra-foam latte. And Uptown (at least the one hit at least twice a week in lower Queen Anne) walks that line in the most delicious way.