Cafe Calaveras is now open at Broadway and Yesler (Image: Cafe Calaveras)
There may be closings, shutterings, and shufflings, but the Capitol Hill area’s cafe scene seems to be thriving.
Amid a flurry of 12th Ave food+drink closures, First Hill-born Sugar Bakery is making plans for its second Capitol Hill opening in recent months. City permits — and a CHS tipster — indicate a new Sugar is being lined up for the former Plum Chopped lunch and salad spot.
It will soon neighbor Colibri Mexican Kitchen which has filled the former Plum Bistro space next door with family style Mexican deliciousness.
Sugar, which got its start on Madison on First Hill in 2016, recently expanded with a new location on E Pine.
Another new cafe project is celebrating its “soft opening” Thursday.
Thanks for the tip and the pic, Julie!
Reader Julie alerted us to the milestone opening for Mintish, a “Levantine🇵🇸🇯🇴🇱🇧🇸🇾-inspired Coffee House” in the former Bauhaus space on Harvard Ave. Julie reports the new cafe in the Rubix Apartments building at 515 Harvard Ave E will be open from 10 AM to 3 PM for its first service. Watch @mintish_coffee for updates and, yes, try the Za’atar grilled cheese.
Finally, there is also a new hangout along Broadway in Yesler Terrace where Café Calaveras has taken shape and has quietly opened:
After moving to Seattle in 2017 from San Antonio, Clarissa Griego entered the coffee world through Starbucks, then honed her craft at Ghost Alley Espresso in Pike Place Market, eventually becoming the shop’s first manager. That experience sparked her vision to create a space that celebrates Latinx culture and exceptional coffee.
Calaveras highlights include Café de Olla, a spiced Mexican coffee brewed in a clay pot with cinnamon and brown sugar, and La Chingona, “a bold espresso drink.” The menu also features lattes, barrel-aged cold brews, and seasonal drinks.
Owner Clarissa Griego says Café Calaveras is named after the sugar skulls of Día de los Muertos “and honors the deep symbolism of the holiday, a celebration of life, ancestry, and the spirit that connects us.”
The business has grown with a small pop-up above Alaskan Way. Now the cafe is busy in Yesler where it replaces Tougo Coffee which closed in 2024 after 17 years of service around Central Seattle.
The revamped cafe space on the street level of the Vulcan development a colorful addition to this end of Broadway with “bright colors, lush plants, cozy seating, and a feminine energy.
“I wanted it to feel like walking into your cool tia’s kitchen–warm, joyful, and full of life,” Griego said.
Café Calaveras is now open with limited hours at 860 Yesler Way. Learn more at cafecalaveras.com.
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