Family-owned coffee shop is sharing its delicious offerings with the community
SEATTLE – May 30, 2023 – Black Coffee Northwest, a Seattle-based and Black family-owned coffee company, announced today that it is expanding to Vulcan Real Estate’s space at 2300 South Jackson St. Expected to open in fall of this year, it will be Black Coffee Northwest’s second shop.
Owners Darnesha and Erwin Weary opened their first location in Shoreline in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, using the opportunity to present a community-focused coffee shop that embodies spirit and connection. The idea for a second location came in August 2022, when Darnesha Weary saw that the Jackson Street Starbucks had closed, and decided to post it on Facebook saying, “we need to be here.” The community expressed their support and connected her with the Vulcan Real Estate team. She sent an unsolicited email to Geralyn Vannoy, Director of Commercial Marketing and Leasing for Vulcan Real Estate, and the partnership took off from there.
“The Vulcan Real Estate team has been a really great partner to us and although we were nervous at first, they answered all our questions and no one made us feel like we couldn’t ask anything,” said Darnesha Weary. “We feel taken care of and we feel safe, and as a small business that’s important. I know that we are in good hands and we’re excited to continue sharing our purpose with the community.”
“We are excited to welcome Black Coffee to the neighborhood,” said Vannoy. “They are exactly the kind of tenant we hoped to find, not just a great coffee shop but also a safe and welcoming space for the community to gather.”
Dedicated to proactive and innovative community building through youth leadership development, Black Coffee Northwest provides free after-school programming and leadership opportunities for underserved youth. This includes free mental health therapy, a podcasting studio program, tutoring, a music program, job training, and more. With the new location next to a bus stop, Black Coffee Northwest is planning to provide more than good food and beverages—it’s also focused on creating a safe space for youth to come after school and get homework done or connect with friends. Donations to further support these efforts can be made here.
“We are grounded in excellence, and we live that every day and in everything that we do,” said Darnesha Weary. “Coffee is just our vehicle to spread love, joy and community.”
About Vulcan Real Estate
Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate directs all real-estate investment activities for Vulcan LLC, a Paul G. Allen Estate affiliate. Through strategic acquisitions and innovative development, Vulcan Real Estate has created a diversified portfolio of high-performing quality assets including office, life sciences, residential, and mixed-use projects.
The company’s integrated team of real estate professionals offers a full range of development and portfolio management services from site selection and urban planning to build-to-suit construction, leasing, financing, and asset repositioning. Its real estate model is based on quality, sustainable development that builds new value across the entire community.
Since 2000, Vulcan Real Estate has delivered $4.6 billion in assets in 47 projects comprising 8.2 million square feet of commercial space and 3,390 residential units. Seventy percent of the development projects have occurred in South Lake Union, renowned as one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the country. The company also has 2.1 million square feet of commercial space and 855 residential units under construction in the Seattle and Eastside markets.
About Black Coffee Northwest
Seattle-based Black Coffee Northwest exists to inspire and energize the community as a meeting place rooted in current culture. Each coffee bar has its own personality, reflective of those in the community it’s established in. Black Coffee Northwest is a place where people meet, cultivate relationships, develop ideas, and step back from the daily hustle and enjoy an exceptional beverage. Its mission is to be involved with proactive and innovative community building through youth leadership development. The organization does this by integrating creativity, exemplifying excellence, and meeting the needs of the community.
