(Image: Coffee TAB)
A key neighborhood hangout is going back in motion in the Central District as Coffee TAB is ready to open at 23rd and Jackson.
“We’re intentional about everything, from the way we pull a shot to the neighborhoods we choose to serve. We want to breathe new life into places by building something that serves the community well—somewhere people gather, form relationships, and feel a sense of belonging,” founder Jonathan Tran said in the joint announcement from TAB and Vulcan Real Estate, the owner of the building and the surrounding shopping center. “Opening at 23rd & Jackson is another chance to live that out. It’s about investing in a neighborhood, creating jobs, expanding opportunities for young adults, and becoming part of the fabric of the Central Area.”
In addition to restoring much missed coffee service at the corner, the opening of Coffee TAB CD is an important milestone after years of concerns around public safety and street disorder in the area as the building sat empty.
In July, CHS was the first to report on the plans for Coffee TAB to fill the space, the third cafe for the four-year-old nonprofit dedicated to espresso and jobs training. The corner has been a sore spot. After Starbucks pulled out over what it said were concerns about public safety, Vulcan, the City of Seattle, and Black Coffee Northwest planned to open a new cafe in the space in a plan backed by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, and District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth that ultimately fell apart despite announced intentions of rebuilding Black ownership in the neighborhood.
Hollingsworth marked progress at the corner in a recent video celebrating Coffee TAB’s opening, saying she is “super excited for this corner to activate” and is looking forward to a new community gathering space.
Appearing with Hollingsworth and Tran, State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña summed up the excitement.
“Because 23rd and Jackson is the heart of the Central District. It’s the heart of our community, and this place has been empty for way too long,” Saldaña says. “Our young people and our elders need a place to hang out, and the coffee is really delicious.”
Meanwhile, larger economic and community challenges remain with the shuttered buildings left by the closure of the center’s Walgreens and the shutdown of the neighborhood’s Amazon Fresh grocery store across the street.
Coffee Tab will be celebrating the new space in October as it holds a silent auction and fundraiser supporting its Barista Apprenticeship Program at the Jackson location.
Final inspections were needed before the space could finally reopen, according to a recent social media update.
Coffee TAB is ready to open at 2300 S Jackson. Learn more at coffeetab.org.
$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support
You must be logged in to post a comment.