BIZNOTE: Here’s who’s moving into the former West Seattle Junction Starbucks space

(Photo sent by Katy)

As soon as the “LEASED” sign went up in the window at the former West Seattle Junction Starbucks space (4233 SW Alaska), people started asking us if we knew who. And now we do. Anchorhead Coffee is moving in. Anchorhead owner Jake Paulson tells WSB, “Anchorhead is a Seattle-based coffee company focused on making high-quality coffee more approachable, with a strong emphasis on speed of service, consistency, and a thoughtful and unpretentious experience.” And, he says, “We’re excited to come to West Seattle” – he’s a former WS resident, in fact, and he says, “It’s an area that means a lot to me personally, so this one feels special.” Anchorhead has a handful of other locations currently – including Capitol Hill (here’s a 2021 Capitol Hill Seattle story about that) and Pike Place Market. No timeline or other details about the West Seattle expansion yet – “We’re still early in the process,” he says. Nine months have passed since the Junction Starbucks closed; the neighboring space, where Haymaker closed two years ago, also has new tenants moving in – Dave’s Hot Chicken and Gong Cha, as we first reported last October.

37 Replies to "BIZNOTE: Here's who's moving into the former West Seattle Junction Starbucks space"

  • Doug Holland May 9, 2026 (5:52 pm)

    This is a major improvement, in class and in coffee!

  • Welcomer May 9, 2026 (5:56 pm)

    Excellent! Welcome Anchorhead! What a great addition to West Seattle.

  • Shell May 9, 2026 (6:20 pm)

    Woo, I love Anchorhead Coffee!! 

  • Another_reader May 9, 2026 (6:37 pm)

    I’m pumped!! So much better than Starbucks and Hotwire. Big welcome Anchored! 👌👏

    • Jeffrey Silva May 13, 2026 (9:46 am)

      Thank you so much. You’re a gem. As of Sept 2, 2027 Hotwire will have been in business 25 years here in the junction. We’ve donated ten’s of thousands of dollars to schools, charities and other non-profits. I would gather to say that we may be one of the longest standing locally owned, family run, businesses in the junction. Not sure why you can’t just welcome Anchorhead into the neighborhood without putting down a business that has been supporting West Seattle for nearly 25 years.Jeff, Owner, Hotwire Coffeehouse 

      • The Earl May 13, 2026 (11:38 am)

        Just like newbies trying to dog on husky deli. OG wesseattle all the way.

      • Coffee May 15, 2026 (5:57 am)

        I love the Hotwire Mexican mochas.

      • Andrea May 15, 2026 (8:19 am)

        Thank you for your contributions to the community Jeff! It is exhausting watching people put down existing businesses when a new one comes in, especially small family owned businesses! No surprise the commenter is anonymous. Keep kicking ass in the junction! 

    • Higginshere May 22, 2026 (10:13 am)

      I think you meant well, but you really insulted Hotwire, its customers, and our community.

  • Em May 9, 2026 (8:28 pm)

    So excited to have another coffee shop in the Junction!!

  • THE best! May 9, 2026 (8:37 pm)

    Welp there goes my money🤎☕️

  • John May 9, 2026 (9:22 pm)

    Yesss! Such an upgrade!  Can’t wait!

  • BRock May 9, 2026 (9:39 pm)

    Can we just get a sweet greens or playa bowl over there? 

  • Katie May 9, 2026 (10:23 pm)

    Yessssssssss!!!!! 🙌❤️

  • Jeanette Vermillion May 9, 2026 (10:25 pm)

    West Seattle is going to level up with quality coffee and clever marketing- take my money!! Byyye SB, Byeeee

  • CK May 9, 2026 (11:34 pm)

    Hurray! It’s not another pizza place!

    • max34 May 18, 2026 (10:29 am)

      where are all these new ‘pizza joints’ that folks complain about?   every spot in the area are all long-standing, no?  and they’re pretty much all hyper-local.   

  • Mika May 10, 2026 (2:40 am)

    As someone who is far from Seattle, it sounds exactly like what Starbucks once wanted to be. Curious to see how that goes.

  • Samwise May 10, 2026 (6:26 am)

    I look forward to seeing a good café take over this location. The spot is great and as Starbucks failed to realize there’s more to a café than just coffee (ironically).

  • KathyB May 10, 2026 (6:47 am)

    So excited to read this! Anchorhead is the best and will be a great addition to the junction!

  • Meeee May 10, 2026 (6:48 am)

    This is an upgrade for sure.

  • Tim May 10, 2026 (6:48 am)

    I was worried the next tenant would be another chain or corporation, but so excited for a independent, local, small-business specialty coffee roaster to move in! Anchorhead Coffee is solid, and they won an award back in 2015 for their espresso blend. I go to their Downtown location, but will soon be just a few blocks away from home. An “unpretentious experience” is what I am most looking forward to, a coffee shop who focuses on quality over quantity, doing what they know best well, and, most importantly, tap in the community. Welcome to West Seattle!

    • bill May 10, 2026 (10:14 am)

      They will need some quantity to make the rent. I am still baffled Starbucks gave up such a prominent location. Was always busy.

      • K May 10, 2026 (6:57 pm)

        Starbucks closed the one at Seattle Children’s in the outpatient clinic side of the hospital.  They had lines from the time they opened until the time they closed every day.  But they were a union store, and the stores fighting for contracts, or talking about organizing all had to go.

        • Lauren May 10, 2026 (7:08 pm)

          Yup, K has it right, sadly. 

          • pL May 11, 2026 (3:14 am)

            Right on the nose

  • Foop May 10, 2026 (8:30 am)

    There been a lot of negative press about Starbucks pulling away from Seattle, often political press, but so far most of the old closed Starbucks spaces are being filled with better, more local coffee shops with an invested interest in improving their communities and that’s a net benefit that I don’t think gets the coverage it deserves.

    • WSB May 10, 2026 (4:52 pm)

      And in fact,; the Starbucks that closed on Alki also has been replaced by a local coffee shop.

    • Black Coffee May 11, 2026 (8:09 am)

      The loss of starbucks corporate jobs is a legitimate loss for the city, but contra most of the doomsayers, I don’t think those losses are attributable directly (or indirectly) to local politics. 

  • Squarely May 10, 2026 (10:04 am)

    I love Starbucks!!Coffee is coffee…Whatever…

    • helpermonkey May 12, 2026 (8:48 am)

      If you think “coffee is coffee” then it stands to reason you love Starbucks. 

  • Mike May 10, 2026 (1:25 pm)

    Best of luck to the new shop. They’ll still have to pay rent, Seattle wages, WA taxes, and to deal with the instability we’ve come to expect. Hopefully they know something Starbucks doesn’t, or they’ll be giving way to bubble tea or another pizza joint. I’ll definitely give them a try. 

    • k May 10, 2026 (5:37 pm)

      This is an additional location of an existing local chain, so the owners have been contending with those things at their other locations already. 

    • Gimme Tea May 11, 2026 (7:46 am)

      Hi, tea drinker here.  Gong Cha going in at former Haymaker (see end of the article) IS boba tea. So that market will be cornered. I hope Anchorhead stays in WS a long long time. It’s fun to see you coffee drinkers getting excited about them 🙂

  • Olivia May 13, 2026 (2:56 pm)

    This is awesome to see; welcome to the neighborhood! Can’t wait to stop by.

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