Thanks to reader Todd for the picture
“Self-pour” wine bar Rapport has closed indefinitely on Capitol Hill as people involved in the business say they are seeking options to reopen the E Roy venue that carved a popular hangout out of a former Starbucks concept cafe on North Broadway.
A person with knowledge of the closure said the shutdown was due to a personal family decision with the ownership and that there were hopes of possibly working out a new deal for the cafe and wine bar’s lease.
Rapport’s last night of business was December 29th.
The self-pour food and drink concept from founder David Clawson debuted at Broadway and Roy in the middle of the pandemic’s start in the summer of 2020.
Clawson in 2020
While the idea dovetailed with the challenges of COVID-19 hospitality, it was a project set in motion much earlier than 2020. The wine entrepreneur Clawson told CHS he was returning to his home city after 15 years in London and scored the former Starbucks cafe for a trend he said he saw growing in the United Kingdom and Europe of self-serve wine and beer.
The huge space had been left behind in the exit of the indie-styled Roy Street Cafe project from Starbucks. Strata Architects and DEI Creative worked on the look and feel of Rapport with construction by Metis to give the former coffee shop a new flow and room for the self-pour elements.
Rapport, meanwhile, grew as a comfortable day and night place along northern Broadway where the original concept pretty much faded into the background. Customers missing it now are more likely sad about the comfort, the coffee, and the beer and wine than any of the technology. The hope now is for the 700 Broadway E business to get a reboot.
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Bring back the Roy Street Coffee house.
Somehow I don’t see Starbucks adding any new locations on the hill anytime soon.
Why would they. Between activists demanding unionization despite possibly the best counter job benefits available, and the steady flow of people in crisis using Starbucks as their day drug use and stolen property storage … the whole “third place” is as dead as a grunge band from the 90s.
It’s insane how out of touch with reality you are. Try going outside instead of watching right wing news. There’s many coffee shops in Cap Hill that are busy basically the entire day, treat their workers well, and do not have drug users passing out in the spaces.
The reality is that the Olive Way Starbucks was often like described as above before they closed. Maybe leave your bubble a bit.
So much judgement in this comment. And good for you for “going outside”. Get off your high horse.
Why don’t you email Starbucks HQ, your comment is irrelevant here.
Remember that time when Starbucks sent clipboard dorks into Joe Bar to survey the situation before doing their corporate coffee damnedest to copy the competition, but made a dumb suburban, soulless version instead and tried to pretend it wasn’t them?
I’m not a Starbucks person, but Roy St coffeehouse was rad. It was always busy, super comfortable, and a perfect place for meetings and meet-ups. It’s a shame that misguided, grumpy, and bitter folks killed it.
So, joe bar at Roy Street then, right?