A Quick Guide to Black-Owned Businesses in Seattle and Tacoma

Buy Black all year long 🛍️

Crowd at Arte Noir exploring the gallery

As Black History Month comes to a close, I wanted to spotlight some of my favorite Black-owned businesses that deserve your patronage all year long. Whether you’re looking for coffee, clothing, food, or gifts, here’s a list of places in the Seattle area that’ll become your go-tos.

Campfire Coffee Co.

1554 Market St #101, Tacoma

Seattle is already synonymous with coffee. Tacoma’s Campfire Coffee combines that fondness with another local love: the outdoors. A family affair, the owners turned camping with their kids and roasting coffee over an open fire into a brand. With a cute brick-and-mortar in downtown Tacoma, they also offer their beans online. And their commitment to nature extends to their Campfire Explorers Club, a nonprofit that aims to help make outdoor recreation more accessible. 

Open Mondays to Saturdays: 7 am – 4 pm
Sundays: 8 am – 2 pm

Need a boost? ☕

Get Campfire Coffee Co’s sampler pack to try three six-ounce bags of beans. Or try their “double cup” (see above) and combine two drinks.

The Station

1600 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle

Another family-owned coffee shop is the Beacon Hill hot spot The Station. A staple since 2010, they offer everything from coffee, food, beer, and wine. (Their brown sugar latte, named the D’Angelo, will make your soul sing.) They have a community focus and often host pop-ups from local BIPOC makers who don’t have storefronts. Their last event highlighted The Power Plant Seattle (plants) and Black Pinay (candles). Two WOC-owned businesses!

Open every day: 7 am – 5 pm

Bonus 🤩

The Station is opening a Columbia City location in late spring 2023. Both of their locations will be right near light rail stations!

Wolf Delux

416 8th Ave S, Seattle

If having a one-of-a-kind piece is a part of your style, Wolf Delux’s clothing should be on your radar. Imagine a Seahawks hoodie transformed through patterns. Anime characters that blossom from a Columbia Sportswear jacket. Or a shirt with a sweet saying that pops with painted colors. 

Making wearable artwork by upcycling clothing, this designer takes what you wear from necessity to self-expression. Wolf Delux’s custom apparel has graced the Museum of History & Industry and the Museum of Museums. And the prices are pretty affordable. YAY! 

Secure the bag 👝

DM on Wolf Delux’s Instagram for details about specific items or stop by the shop @ 416 8th Ave S in the CID. 

Classic Eats

918 SW 152nd St, Burien

An Olde Burien restaurant that serves diner vibes is Classic Eats. Think comfort foods with a Southern twist. Here you can grab chicken ‘n waffles, shrimp ‘n grits, or go with a breakfast favorite like french toast. And they pay tribute to the past through memorabilia, including paintings of local classic cars and old Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe.

I recommend doing a happy hour or brunch with friends. The food is too good not to try a few menu items, like BBQ pulled pork taquitos or meatloaf sliders. They also offer meal prep and catering services. 

Mondays: 11 am – 8 pm
Tuesdays to Thursdays: 11 am – 9 pm
Fridays: 11 am – 10 pm

Saturdays: 9 am – 10 pm 
Sundays: 9 am – 8 pm

Cheers ✨

Score $4 mimosas during Classic Eats’ breakfast hours, with multiple flavor options like pineapple and prickly pear. 

Arte Noir

2301 E Union St Suite H, Seattle

Arte Noir’s new gallery at 23rd & Union is a hub for Black creativity. The space includes Gallery Onyx, a gallery that exclusively features Black visual artists. Artist Bryon Steward is one of many whose work is currently on display. He describes his art as “one of those electrons in quantum physics that keep popping in and out of time and space.” 

After you’ve enjoyed the gallery, you can shop. Any trip worth having includes a souvenir, and items here range from jewelry and coloring books to journals and herbal coffee alternatives. Plus, 100% of the proceeds from the products sold go directly to the creator who made them. 

Tuesdays to Saturdays: 10 am – 6 pm

Close out with a stout 🍻

After a trip to Arte Noir, head over to 23rd Ave Brewery, a Black-owned brewery that recently held a tasting at the gallery. I recommend grabbing a bottle of their Basement Stout. 

Author

Patheresa Wells

Patheresa Wells is a Black/Persian, Pansexual, Polyamorous Poet (so many Ps) and writer living in Seatac. An aspiring comic, you can catch her cracking jokes at open mics around the area. In her free time, she likes to imagine what she’d do with free time and feed her backyard crows cuz they’re silly. Follow her on Twitter @PatheresaWells.

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