Comments

1

How will our fragile youths survive the loss of this historic fifteen year-old business?
Who would think that a coffee shop would run into stiff competition in Seattle?

2

@1: The only solution is for our City Council to extend the Pike Place Historical boundary to cover Sureshot espresso.

3

A shame. I frequented that place often before I purchased my own PC. The coffee was good and the company excellent.

4

More like the entire U Dist is upzoned to 23 stories, actually.

Yes, exactly what I said. There's the usual "historical preservation" stuff, which means the banks cashing in on this will save some of the bottom 2 levels of facades and attach them to new towers.

Are you liking my Seattle yet?

You're welcome.

P.S.: Worry more about POC displacement at the other ST station locations, that's what I'm concerned about. Why aren't they doing Mixed Income Multi-Family Residential buildings with 1-2 floors of retail with mixed income for the shop owners allowed to move back in? Pretty soon every artist you know will be in Kent or the South End.

5

I too love Sureshot, but calling it a "grunge-era institution" is just distorting history.

6

@4: 23 stories? Better tell that to the 25-story towers currently under construction.

8

I love how everytime that a Seattle "institution" dies, The Stranger bemoans the fact and faults the growth that its writers and editors have been boosting for more years than I can count (Ive been in the city 24). I'm fine with the change going on in Seattle, and am also sad to see the things I once loved go, but some The Stranger never seems to put the two together.

9

Rent control for small businesses!

10

spent a lot of time there years ago. I loved tgat place more than I can express here. I'd go there to read for hours on end, or meet up with friends before deciding what to do fir the night, or just meet people in general.

A lot of that punk feeling and street atmosphere is owed to Kara Jean Boggenstas, who died three years ago. She was the daughter of the owners and she really set the tone for the place. She brought the vibe of tolerance and community, she accepted everyone and treated them kindly. Sureshot was Kara's coffeeshop, and it felt like her legacy. It's hard to see what she left behind die too.

11

17 years. Current owner only 15. And I was medicine barista. Also, all friendly dogs, cats, and people have always been welcome.

12

So the building got bought and they cannot renew the lease... Does anyone know what will be going there?

13

The reason the building was bought is that the upper floor was destroyed by fire about a few months ago. The whole thing needs major repair, and the place will likely be closed for some time as either the building is demolished and rebuilt, or the repair is undertaken. The owners couldn't handle the long closure, renewal of the lease was uncertain, and running Sureshot was (while profitable) very hard and they were kind of burnt out.

At least, that's the information I was able to glean about it. The overall growth and gentrification of Seattle had little to do with it.


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