The crew readying the 500 square feet for its daytime start (Image: Laurel)
Seattle is a big city and sometimes it takes a really long time to open something new here — even one of the tiniest joints on Capitol Hill.
After a year of planning, paperwork, and elbow grease, Laurel has opened for daytime hours along E Olive Way. You can stop in for daily 9a-2p coffee service starting Friday. Its nighttime hours will follow.
Little Laurel might be the most personal of Kate Opatz’s food and drink ventures. CHS reported here last summer on the light, beauty, daytime coffee, neighborhood investors, love for a lost friend, and mom behind the project transforming the former home of Crumble & Flake Pâtisserie.
Laurel, named for Opatz’s mother and for the natural imagery it evokes, is filled with feminine motifs, plants, colorful tiles, and earthy tones.
(Image: Laurel)
The cafe and bar neighbors another Opatz-guided institution in the graffiti-filled and well-loved dive bar Montana. When Laurel grows into its nighttime service, the guide will be Nico Ciel, the bar manager at Opatz’s La Dive with a menu of craft cocktails at Laurel that are “seasonal, fresh, and herbaceous.”
For starters, Laurel will keep to the silvery brightness of Seattle’s winter daylight hours with coffee and pastries from The French Guys, saving neighbors on these curves of Capitol Hill the walk up to their bakery shop on E Roy.
Laurel joins other new additions to the area in this regard. On First Hill, the Piedmont Café is finding its place in the historic space that was once the lobby of an elegant hotel before it considers nightly hours. And just east of Capitol Hill above Madison Valley, Yeobo Cafe and Bar is also enjoying a soft opening as it eases into night and day service.
Seattle may be a big, busy city but getting things right by day and night takes time.
Laurel is now open for coffee service at 1500 E Olive Way. Follow @laurel_seattle for updates.
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My legs have already fallen asleep with pins and needles just looking at those bar chairs.
nice! Analog is not far but the line gets pretty long (because it is so great). So this will be nice to have. I’ve been saying for years that the triangle building (now gold bar) would make a great cafe space but this is also awesome. can’t wait to scope it out.
Any idea of the 9-2 hours will be regular, or if it’s just for soft opening? Can’t figure out why so few nearby cafes open before 9 AM! When I worked weird hours it was fine, but having a regular 9-5 now makes it a lot harder to patronize businesses I’d otherwise drop by on my way into the office.
Love that just as many places are opening as was closing when people were whining about wages