Capitol Hill-born Espresso Vivace is celebrating 35 years of artisanal coffee this week and founder David Schomer decided to mark the milestone in a familiar place — behind the counter. CHS found him Thursday pulling shots inside Vivace’s Broadway Brix building location. He’ll be at the South Lake Union cafe Friday with three Vivace 35th anniversary special single origin coffees — Ugandan Bonabana with notes of savory chocolate, heavy body, Indian Monsooned Malabar with notes of salted caramel, and Bourbon Pointu with notes of candied apple.
CHS: What’s the secret to keeping a coffee shop going for 35 years?
David Schomer: Not expanding beyond your capabilities. Focus is the secret, especially in this market.
CHS: What’s the focus, on just coffee, or customers too?
Schomer: I am very much interested in making people happy with what I do. I’m very hyper customer oriented. But I’m also maybe a little bit on the spectrum. I just have to perfect this and keep perfecting and perfecting and perfecting. It was my son who figured it out. Dad’s so on the spectrum…
CHS: Do you still love coffee?
Schomer: Oh, yes, every day, because I don’t overdo it. I just have my shots and I do a lot of testing. But I absolutely love it more than ever. They’re always finding that it’s healthy. There’s so many studies in the last 10 years. And it’s you know, they flat out say it extends your life now, like, okay, sounds pretty good to me.
CHS: Where do you see the future of coffee?
Schomer: Well, it’s a wild card because of climate change. But I think that with the espresso coming on the way it is, that the future of espresso is in Taiwan, and Korea in Japan. Of course, New Zealand and Australia have been strong for so long. I just got translated into Chinese and my book was translated into Korean a couple years ago and Japan 10 years ago. And when I meet these guys, they’re really, really good. Yeah. They’re not using the espresso machine to make a four ounce watery crap, they’re making thick, beautiful coffee.
CHS: Where is your favorite coffee coming from right now?
Schomer: India or Ethiopia. You can’t go wrong with Ethiopia. Indian monsoon Malabar is the sweetest coffee in the world.
CHS: What is your favorite cup of coffee of all time?
Schomer: This Ugandan Ekende right now. It depends on my mood, sometimes I want a sweet coffee, but sometimes I want something else. Ethiopia is always reliable. Sidamo in 2018 was just blueberry heaven. The whole shop smelled like blueberry, it was amazing.
Vivace on CHS through the years
- 2021: Signs of Capitol Hill normalcy: Vivace returns
- 2018: Espresso Vivace: 30 years of artisanal coffee on Capitol Hill
- 2016: Two months of carnage that brought light rail to Capitol Hill
- 2015: Vivace’s David Schomer on coffee art — and affordability
- 2015: Coffee’s ‘biggest event’ just downhill from the fertile roasting grounds of Capitol Hill
- 2015: Vivace creating Broadway roasting facility
- 2011: Fairbrother memorial will march from South Lake Union Vivace to Volunteer Park / Wear orange, bring flowers, twine — UPDATE: Pictures, remembrances
- 2009: Old Vivace building teardown coming next week
- 2009: Vivace thriving in new location
Coffee competition in Portland this weekend
Many of the Pacific Northwest’s top coffee talent will be in Oregon for the U.S. Coffee Championships including two Capitol Hill baristas armed with some special support — custom music tracks for their sessions from musician K. Van Petten:
- “Synesthesia,” is a powerful rock anthem created in honor of the talented barista, Natasha Everald Solowoniuk. As a tribute to Seattle, the birthplace of both grunge rock and the American coffee culture, this track is a celebration of the city’s rich cultural and musical history. The title “Synesthesia” is a nod to the theme of Natasha’s coffee creations, which explore the idea of music as a sensory experience that can ignite all of our senses. Through the combination of driving guitar riffs and thunderous drums, this track captures the essence of Seattle’s music history, while paying tribute to the innovative and creative spirit of its coffee.
“Stopped Time,” is a stunning ambient composition created for Gray Kauffman. It perfectly captures the essence of coffee production through the use of field recordings and atmospheric soundscapes. The track is a fitting tribute to Gray’s dedication to specialty coffee, showcasing their focus on stopping to appreciate the nuanced flavors and aromas of coffee’s terroir. Composed in collaboration with coffee producer Frank Rivas Torres, this track features sounds sampled from around the farm where the coffee was produced. The coffee used in “Stopped Time” is a natural anaerobic Sidra variety grown in the Nariño region of Colombia, and its unique flavor profile is reflected in the track’s lush and dreamy soundscapes. With this track, the EP offers a sensory journey that transports listeners to the heart of coffee production, inviting them to experience the intricate and magical world of specialty coffee.
When they aren’t competing to be the best in the nation, you can find Solowoniuk and Gray pulling shots with Caffe Vita. You can tune into their performances live on Saturday afternoon via their Instagram accounts (@jgraykauffman and @drinkslinginnatti), and you can stream the music on Bandcamp.
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