Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
We all have our things. You know the things I’m talking about- the things we do when we’re nervous. Some people pick at their fingers, some people twirl their hair or blink funny. Some people hide behind their phone. And me? My thing? Hiding behind my coffee cup. It’s like a security blanket. Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee, a lot. But I’m not one of those real coffee people. I put too much cream and sugar in my cup (something I often get dirty looks for) And I can’t taste much of a difference between light and dark roasts. I’m sure it’s there, but with the massive amounts of cream and sugar in my cup, it’s all the same to me. (Please don’t hate me coffee peeps!)
What I actually love about coffee, what makes me keep coming back to this caffeinated drink time and time again is how it makes me feel. The smell, the warmth coming through the cup and onto my hands, the way it looks, the routine of heading into the coffee shop in the morning and small chatting with the friendly baristas. That’s what I love. It’s this whole coffee culture that I’m a fan of.
So being that my husband and I were going to be up in Seattle, a city known for it’s delicious coffee (and the ability to cultivate the coffee culture experienced the world over) I was excited to visiting the cute coffee shops that litter this place. I had heard about one in particular that recently opened up in Pikes Place, one of my favorite areas of Seattle. I was excited because although I love Pikes Place, I felt like I had seen all there was to see. I had already purchased my “First Starbucks” mug, seen the flying fish, and tasted far too many apple samples. So a new coffee shop sounded perfect.
So we headed to Storyville Coffee Co. to see what this new place was about. Long story short- I loved it. So much. I think it showed all over my face being that one of the guys working there commented on how excited and happy I looked when I walked in. So much for a cool poker face.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
You guys, this place was branding perfection. I mean, just take a look at their website and you’ll get it. The way they designed the space is so welcoming.You walk in, and instantly see coffee grinders. The counter is circular, so you don’t feel like the baristas are incredibly separated from you. It more seems like they happen to be making delicious coffee while hanging out with you in the space. Their tagline, “Love Everybody” shows through every detail.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
My husband and I were instantly greeted by a young fellow with a friendly smile and a handlebar mustache. Super hipster – but really, did you expect anything different? It’s a hip new coffee shop in Seattle… I mean… Anyways, he showed us around, asked what I normally drink. I confessed that I drink coffee with massive amounts of cream and sugar. It was like word vomit- he was the last person I wanted to tell about my non cool coffee person drinking habits. I was expecting to get a dirty look and be told something like, “our coffee is such amazing quality that you don’t need any cream or sugar.” To which I would pretend to agree while inside thinking how I really don’t care how good it is, I still want cream and sugar… But I received no snarky remark from smily mr. handlebar. He simply smiled and told me that they had really good handmade syrups with some great tasting flavors that he thought I would like. He also told us about the variety of warm, freshly baked treats they had for sale. As if I wasn’t sold already.
I ordered a non-fat latte. Nolan ordered an iced Americano and a cinnamon roll that I may or may not have made him order…
We sat down on a comfy seat near the fire place. Did I mention that it was cloudy and cold outside? It was, and this California girl was in heaven. They have these large windows that overlook the Elliot Bay and let in just the right amount of natural light. My latte was of course, Instagram worthy and the cinnamon roll was near perfection. It was gooey and warm – just the way it should be. I did put some Sugar in the Raw into my latte, but I tell you what- there was nothing I could do to ruin that thing. That was one of the best lattes I’ve ever had. I could actually taste the difference. If it wasn’t so expensive (for a cheap-o like me) I would have bought another one to take with me.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
We finished up our meal, chatted and shot the breeze with mr. handlebar. It was such a relaxing environment that I really wished I had brought my laptop so I could spend the rest of the day working there. But after about an hour of hang time in the shop we had to head out.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
We said our goodbyes and thank you’s and headed down stairs, back to the bustling streets of Pikes Place. But even after leaving the shop Storyville was still blowing my branding mind. I looked over about a quarter mile down the road and saw the Storyville logo repeated on the side of a large building. No words, just symbols. “They are just too good,” I thought to myself.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
So, needless to say, this girl, who is in love with how coffee makes her feel is hooked on Storyville. I highly recommend going there if you’re ever in the Seattle area. Here’s their website. Here’s their Twitter. My one piece of advice? Order your own cinnamon roll. You won’t regret it.