Saturday, January 10, 2009

A Secure Business In Seattle


Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Tres Seattle, non? Home Espresso Repair may never lack for business in this town. Since 1986 it has been housed in a small shop in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, a very old building that must pre-date the paved intersection, as it juts out almost to the curb. Patrons can consolidate errands by picking up fresh roasted beans with their finished repair or new espresso maker. Me, I'm still doing the pour-it-yourself Melitta drip thing with French roast fair trade beans and don't have an espresso maker myself. You?

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is an original business idea! Can't see that working in most places.

Dsole said...

HI there!
Lovely place! I don't have an espresso neither... that's a pity because I love cofee!
But maybe this year... "yes we can!"
Have a great begging of the year, Kim and company!

Dsole, from Madrid, Spain

Katney said...

I don't drink coffee. I don't like the stuff.

Would I be drummed out of Seattle?

Anonymous said...

I'm a Melitta girl myself. But the idea of doing business at such a cute little neighborhoody place would likely convert me!

Hilda said...

That is such an adorable little building and I love it's coffee colors with that bright red door.

No espresso machine — they're so expensive here! Just a drip coffee maker like you, but with our local Barako (tough man) coffee.

Small City Scenes said...

Hey, I know where that is!!! MB

Wayne said...

I can always find organic/fair trade whole beans on sale in Vancouver. I have an inexpensive burr grinder.

I always buy French Roast/Dark Roast and I use one of those one cup drip things. I drink coffee black and I've never been able to justify the cost of a decent espresso machine because I don't want to foam anything.

I have a worm composter and the theory is that I can compost the filter and the grounds. That's the theory.

Cute shop Kim.

Christina said...

Another Melitta girl here! I love the simplicity. I wouldn't mind if an espresso maker arrived on my doorstep, though...

Brian Stern Photography said...

Great place, serves excellent coffee! Hope? I think so!

awatchfulwanderer.blogspot.com

Bob Crowe said...

Starbuck's Italian roast, automatic electric maker with Melita filter, strong. We have a little espresso maker around somewhere but we're too lazy to use it much.

Never been by this place. Must check it out on our next visit.

abc said...

I consider this picture an example of how you can bring the best out in a relatively ordinary looking building by getting the composition right. And I can recommend you get yourself an espresso machine.

Moya said...

Nespresso is my life line in the morning, and the added bonus of having George Clooney as spokesman here in Europe! Makes for a nice visual when I have to pick up some more coffee!

Clueless in Boston said...

The building looks like it would be at home on a dirt road in a western mining town.

Me, I never drink espresso, but love good strong black coffee. I've had my Melitta 4 cupper for about 15 years, and it was a freebie!

Chuck Pefley said...

Ah yes, a close to 10 year old Starbucks Barrista espresso machine. So far it's not needed repair.

Michael Salone said...

WHAT? No Espresso machine? Do the neighbors know? Let's keep it our little secret shall we...

In France the latest trend is the Nespresso machine advertised by George Clooney. I hear that he won't let his image be used in the U.S. in case people think he's selling out, but I can tell you, he's sold lots of machines with his image here!

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm still having them make it for me, though I've taken to bringing my own cup. I've gone green. Well, it had to happen.

cara said...

Only in Seattle! Ha! Brilliant.

I use a stovetop espresso maker and warm my milk in a small saucepan. A bit laborious but I'm too cheap to go out and buy a machine.

Stefan Jansson said...

Thepour-it-yourself Melita drip is the best!

Live More Now said...

Yes, ONLY in Seattle!

scouter573 said...

I'm on my second espresso machine. The first died the day before the family arrived for Christmas many years ago - repair was too long, so I bought a new one. The second has been repaired once at H.E.R. and the first shall soon be. Both machines suffered at my clueless use. The shop does great work.

Anonymous said...

The original shop was where the Edward Jones office is now on Greenwood. The original owner was a woman who started as a barista in the Pike Place market store and decided working in Starbucks espresso machine repair shop was more interesting. Several years later, she made then an offer to take the espresso machine repair business out as a separate business (they only did it to service the machines they sold). Note the initials spell HER.