Today was the first day of business at the new location for Starbucks on NW Market St. The coffee house is in the space formally occupied briefly by 5 Corners Market Bar & Kitchen. The space previously housed Lombardi’s for 23 years.
The new location is on the corner of 22nd Ave NW and NW Market St, just one door east of their previous location.
At just before 9 a.m., the new store was already beginning to fill up with customers eager for a glance at the new location. With its tall ceilings, ample seating, and spacious layout, it’s a far cry from their former store next door.
Store manager Jen Neill says the location is unique because it has a Clover coffee machine. According to Neill, there are less than 300 of the machines in Starbucks around the country. The Clover, which is a Ballard-made coffee maker, is a combination of a French press and a vacuum press. It costs a little bit more than regular drip coffee, but allows baristas to regulate the water temperature, coffee grind, coffee-to-water ratio and brew time.