(Image: Ada’s Technical Books)
A house home to a book shop on 15th Ave E for decades will need a fresh start and new owners are being sought for its sibling coffee shops.
Ada’s Technical Books & Cafe will close in June.
Word spread over the weekend as employees informed customers of the news.
Ada’s owner Danielle Hulton tells CHS the decision to shutter Ada’s and sell off the Fuel Coffee locations is a personal decision.
“I need to have time for my family,” Hulton said Monday afternoon.
“This is not a statement of how things are going right now on 15th.”
In her message to customers, Hulton said she had been working on a plan to sell Ada’s.
“After many months of trying to transition Ada’s to new ownership, it has become clear that closing is the most viable path forward,” she writes. “While this wasn’t my initial plan, I recognize that Ada’s was a very specific dream of mine; it feels right to make room for a new dream to be realized in this space.”
Danielle and David Hulton purchased the former home of Horizon Books redeveloped the 15th Ave E structure to house Ada’s and will continue to hold the property. Danielle Hulton said the two Fuel locations on 19th Ave E, in Montlake, and in Wallingford that they lease have been put up for sale. The 15th Ave E coworking space will continue to operate.
Ada’s arrived on 15th Ave E in fall 2013 after the Hultons made a big leap and bought the dilapidated old home of Horizon Books to refurbish, enhance and overhaul into a new chapter for their technical book shop. They also decided to rip out an garden space to add a new wing.
In the fall of 2014, they opened The Office in the upstairs of the addition.
Board and Vellum designed both the coworking space and the bookstore, creating clean, bright, open designs. The shop and cafe drew inspiration from Ada Lovelace, while The Office channeled British computing pioneer Alan Turing for its spirit.
In 2020, the Hultons acquired Fuel Coffee, adding the small chain to their business family and overhauling the cafes in the spirit of Ada’s with book-stuff shelves.
The story began just off Broadway. Ada’s first opened in the summer of 2010 as the Hultons created Seattle’s first bookstore dedicated entirely to technical literature — ranging from computer engineering to architecture to science fiction.
In her message to customers, Hulton said Ada’s is planning to close the book on 15th Ave E with a celebration of reading:
We want to go out on a high note and celebrate this community. Below is some information on what to expect over the next couple of months. Things may shift as we get closer to June, so please keep an eye on our Instagram and website for the most up-to-date information regarding sales, special events, and final hours. As of right now, our hours and staffing will remain the same. However, as folks transition to new positions, this schedule may need to shift in accordance with staff availability.
- April 25th is Seattle Bookstore Day – come out and celebrate with us!
- April 30 & May 1 the kitchen will be closed due to staff vacations.
- May 11th is the last day we will take any special orders for books to pick up in the store. This applies to orders placed in person, as well as “pick up in store” shipping options on our website.
- May 15th any subscription customers will have their final subscription book fulfilled.
- Starting in Mid-May we will have final discounts on all books and merchandise left in the store.
- June 1st-6th our final birthday celebration week!
- June 5th will be our last day of kitchen service.
- June 6th will be the last day to spend any gift cards you might have. If we find ourselves needing to close earlier than the 6th, I will send out another newsletter blast so that you have the most up to date timeline for spending your gift cards.
- June 6th is also the last day to place any orders for shipment to your home on our website.
Ada’s final day of business at 425 15th Ave E is planned for June 6th. Learn more at adasbooks.com.
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