By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Jonathan Stebbins and Mark Mullet (L-R above) are about to open a business full of treats – from Belgian waffles to ice-cream cakes.
But if you stop in to talk with them at their future co-housed Alki Coffee Co./Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shops at 2742 Alki Avenue SW, you might discover they’re most stoked about the decor.
It’s a work in progress, but there’s already an 11-foot-long paddleboard over the southwest wall. Photos are coming, showing Alki history from a century ago. And – the reclaimed cedar.
A tree that fell during the “bomb cyclone” in their contractor’s Eastside neighborhood has yielded lumber they’re using throughout the shop. (They say they had planned to use reclaimed wood anyway.) Uses include a new facade for the beloved fireplace, a holdover from the space’s previous identity as Alki Starbucks. They told us many of the people who stop by or otherwise contact them want reassurance the fireplace is staying.
It is.
What’s gone is the mostly dark ambience of the previous tenant. Light fills the space, from the ice-cream counter on the east side – where a custom mural is on the way, with Puget Sound orcas echoing the black-and-white patches of the famous Ben & Jerry’s cows.
We first told you about the plan for the space – “2/3 coffee, 1/3 ice cream” – five months ago. We checked in with them recently and found out they had set an opening date – April 23 – so we went over for an in-person update on the plan.
The coffee and ice-cream shops will share the same entrance; a Ben & Jerry’s merch table will serve as the main divider. “Two separate businesses, two separate checkouts.” On the ice-cream side, they’ll be offering 28 flavors (scoops, shakes, sundaes, ice-cream cakes, etc.). And on the coffee side, a lot more food than was mentioned in our early report. Yes, you’ll be able to grab a pastry and go – they’ll have some from Macrina, and some house-made, like banana bread. But they’ll also offer acai bowls, made-to-order crepes, Belgian waffles, DIY topping options, made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and more. The menu will be on an electronic board:
Jonathan, a 13-year West Seattle resident, says they’re hopeful that’ll fill some of the breakfast void left by recent closures (Alki Café and Admiral’s Bebop Waffle Shop come to mind). They’ll have some non-breakfasty options too, like paninis.
Their coffee roaster is the same one mentioned in our story last October, San Juans-based Local Goods, which has created an “Alki Coffee Co. blend, not super dark.” Jonathan says Local Goods is certified organic, sourcing from women-owned growing companies in Central America.
Back to the decor – the furniture hadn’t arrived when we were there, but they’ll have “comfy” seating by the fireplace, a window bar (with windows/doors that will be open in the summer), some tables (a few outdoors, too). In addition to the reclaimed cedar, some driftwood from north Puget Sound will be on the mantle, they said.
If you’re an evening coffee drinker, Alki Coffee Co.’s hours will make you happy – 7 am to 9 pm. (And they plan to have an app for people who want to order ahead.) The Ben & Jerry’s side will be open noon to 9 pm. While April 23 (a Wednesday) will be the day they plan to open to the public, they’re planning a grand-opening celebration three days later, on Saturday, April 26.
Looking further ahead, they plan to be part of an Alki expansion of the West Seattle Art Walk, so watch for that on second Thursdays in the future.
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