Even if you’re not a regular coffee drinker in Seattle, it seems to me that most of us still have our usual coffee shop that we go to. Whether it’s to meet a friend, have a club meeting, or bring your favorite co-worker a latte in the morning, it’s hard not to have a personal favorite café in this wonderful city.
With so many coffee shops in town, I often wonder why people visit one coffee shop versus an other, even if “the other” is considered better, trendier, and cheaper or has nicer furniture.
Sometimes the choice may not even rest on the quality of coffee being served – or the price. And while “price” and “quality” are two large considerations for buying anything in our lives, we often throw them out the window when we’re talking about our favorite hangout spot.
Sometimes the choice is made entirely based on convenience – or maybe not? I have often walked down a block or two further to get a cup of coffee because I know the baristas are friendly and the place is “welcoming” to me.
I’ve never made my choice to regularly visit a café on the sole basis that the place offers a better Indonesian blend or wonderful Antigua Guatemala coffee compared to its neighbor. Analog Coffee is a great Seattle coffee shop and it has a great future ahead of it.
Despite all the money spent on slick logos, marketing, fancy chairs and tables, we are still creatures that buy and make our spending choices with our emotions. The fact is that we remember friendly and comfortable places. And we would pretty much do anything to get back there if we could. This is especially true with our coffee shops.
Service is everything. Nobody likes to be ignored even when standing in front of the person at the cash register taking our money. While we expect good service, sadly we experience bad service more often than we would like to acknowledge.
I pay attention to good service and I bet you do too.
When we experience exceptional service even in the most modest of places, a deep connection is made. A bond is sealed and loyalty follows. And so we make an extra effort to cross the street, walk down a block, wait in line and put up with mediocre coffee, all because of how we feel when we walk in the door.
The baristas here are very personable and unpretentious – I bet, we are all tired of snobbish and arrogant baristas in other coffee shops. But Analog coffee is a different story. It has a unique vibe and I love their music choices every time I walk in.
But what if the coffee is excellent?
Great coffee and service often leads to success. That is what I found at Analog Coffee, a coffee shop just under a year old on Capitol Hill. Tucked away among brick apartment buildings and filling a space previously inhabited by fitness trainers, Analog has found its place on Capitol Hill. After years of working as a barista, Tim and his partner Danny decided to open up a cafe of their own to bring some “fresh blood” on the hill. And that they have. They serve Herkimer beans, which were really good, along with small but sufficient selection of muffins and other portable breakfast bites. The decor is well-edited; Americana without the clutter. Take note of their clipped-up newspaper wall.
I found co-owner Tim was friendly, chatty and happy to talk about his business which opened last summer (2011). They’ve enjoyed a warm reception from the community, a reason no doubt to their effort that extends beyond their excellent espresso. As I stepped out on to Summit Avenue, I couldn’t help to think what a wonderful place this is. A very solid 4 our 5 stars in my book.
Location: 235 Summit Avenue East
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Parking: Street Parking
Free Wifi
Espresso: $2.25
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