Breaking today here on Sprudge,ย Stumptown Coffee Roastersย will shutter its Pine Street location in Seattle, Washington on August 20th. Sprudge received tips on the closure from Stumptown employees, with news confirmed this morning via email from Stumptown Marketing Director Mallory Pilcher. This news comes almost a year to the day after the Portland-based, Peet’s-owned roaster announced they would no longer be roasting at their 12th Street location in Seattle.
“Our lease has expired,” Pilcher tells Sprudge, “and we’ve made the painful, yet considered decision to focus our efforts on our 12th Street cafe and our operations within the Seattle market.ย We love our customers and neighbors at Pine and would like to thank them for their friendship and deep support over the years. We’ll see you at 12th and Madison, where the good times will continue to roll.”
Coffee shop closures arenโt always news, but the Pine Street location holds a special place in the hearts of Sprudge co-founders Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen; itโs where their still-independent-but-now-international coffee publication all began back in 2009. It is also, along with Linda’s Tavern across the street and Oddfellows Cafe a few blocks up, where much of the early production of this website took place.
Itโs a sad day, not merely due to Sprudge ties, but also for the displaced baristas and staff at Pine, and for the community of regulars that love this cafe and its place on an ever-changing Capital Hill. According to our anonymous tipster, staff will be losing not only their income but also their health insurance. Meanwhile Stumptown tells us (via Pilcher) that “members of the team will beย considered for open positions in our 12th street location and elsewhere at Stumptown, and everyone at Pine will be offered severance.”
The official announcement from Stumptown is said to be released in the next few days. Any updates or new information will be made here.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
