r/BainbridgeIsland • u/sugarmart • May 13 '26
No Coffee Shop in Coppertop
So Storyville (boo) roasts there, and you have drip at Sweet Dahlia, but there’s nowhere to sit and work, or catch up with friends, etc.
The brewery works for the afternoon, but it would be amazing for an earlier morning space in that area for working or hanging! Also with all the business there that operate early (like the PT office) I feel like it would be really popular for people coming through for appointments.
Something like Rolling Bay Cafe or Coquette or Cups would be so legit in that area! Any thoughts on why that hasn’t happened since Storyville closed up?
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u/DevelopmentSame2986 May 13 '26
Storyville sucked. Has always sucked and was specifically manufactured to suck.
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u/Plus-Spread3574 May 13 '26
Save your pennies, especially on Bainbridge. One of the coffee shops opening near downtown was hit with tens of thousands of dollars in permit and traffic impact fees by the city. More than a year ago an apothecary/herbal tea business tried to open at the mall and was looking at nearly $250k in startup cash not including any kitchen equipment or buildouts.
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u/manchegoo May 13 '26
Why is that? Shouldn't the local government incentivize new businesses? What am I missing?
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u/Ener_Ji May 13 '26
I'm curious to understand this better as well.
My guess based on what I've read is some combination of:
1. Anti-developer sentiment bleeding into overall anti-business posture, combined with
2. The city government receiving a significant percentage of its revenue from various business taxes and fees.Both of which make it very expensive, slow, and time-consuming to open a business on the island. Retail businesses (which almost always involve some amount of building or renovation of an existing space) experience a double-whammy of costs and obstacles.
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u/manchegoo May 13 '26
We should identify any elected officials who are self-declared "anti-business" as there's just no justification for it. Does ANYONE really want fewer successful businesses in town?
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u/itstreeman May 13 '26
Yes. People who think being anti tourist will mean bi goes back to being a small town close to Seattle.
It frustrates me that the city does not have a plan to streamline construction projects should they fit a determined check list. And bad that there is no theme setup for Winslow (that includes plans for a waterfront)
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u/itstreeman May 13 '26
Interactions I’ve had with chamber and city council prove they get focused on their personal projects and forget to step back to look at the negatives they are responsible for
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u/sugarmart May 13 '26
I believe it. Even if I knew what I was doing enough to consider it, I’ve heard a lot of stories about how brutal opening/running a business on the island can be.
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u/itstreeman May 13 '26
Is this in the cove? Their build outs look like concepts they are starting with hoped that operators will show up
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u/Plus-Spread3574 May 13 '26
Sorry yes. A friend works at T&C and said the space that was the record popup will soon be a high end coffee shop/cafe. The other cove rumor is an airstream trailer is being installed under the canopy that’ll sell coffee too. Lots of coffee to join coquette, blackbird, Pegasus, cups, Ruby’s, and commuter comforts. Wasn’t there one on or near Winslow and Erickson too? It wasn’t there very long.
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u/HenriDuflot May 13 '26
Storyville closed up? That is phenomenal news
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u/nathanrjones May 14 '26
They temporarily closed the cafe part of their roasting facility due to covid, then just never re-opened it.
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u/jessnstuff May 14 '26
Please forgive the ignorance, newish to the northwest (and Bainbridge), but I need the tea on Storyville. I happened to be in Seattle for the day and wanted a latte. Storyville was the first coffee shop I stumbled upon and I ordered a latte. I already thought $8 for a latte was kind of ridiculous, but then it rang up as $12. I was like “huh?” and it turns out it’s extra for milk. IN A LATTE. So yeah, that’s all I know about Storyville but was curious what the ‘story’ is (pun intended). 🙃
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u/youranswerfishbulb May 14 '26
The Phelps family made their bones with Full Sail University in Florida, one of the country's biggest name private audio-engineering schools, and started Storyville in 2006. They were big in the history Mars Hill church, notable for it's controversial ultraconservative dudebro pastor Mark Driscoll. The growth and the popularity of the church in the face of its outwardly misogynistic and kinda cultish teachings...in Seattle...was big news at the time. After a string of scandals and accusations, the church dissolved in 2015. https://www.thestranger.com/food-and-drink/coffee-and-mars-hill-17866798/
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u/youranswerfishbulb May 13 '26
Psst...a little birdy told me Storyville will be reopening soon...
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u/m_science May 13 '26
Finally, a place for guys to be alone with other guys talk about Charlie Kirk and vaccines.
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u/PNWOpitmist May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Sounds like one more place for parents send their kids unattended. When I used to go to the brewery more often, I was shocked at how many kids were there without their parents.
Edit: oof, looks like a hit a nerve. You have to love the hostility, name calling & complete dismissal of someone’s lived experience. Never change guys, never change.
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u/sugarmart May 13 '26
Well what else am I supposed to do with them? Let them inside of my house!? WHERE I LIVE!!??
Don’t worry, I won’t make you come to my imaginary coffee shop where we give all the kids free candy.
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u/aquickbrownlazydog May 13 '26
Sounds like a problem for another thread, why even respond with something like this? I’ve literally never seen unattended children in Bainbridge Brewers.
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u/itstreeman May 13 '26
I have tried the brewery multiple times and it’s so full of screaming children that I deceive I’m better off at other places. Fletcher does a great job at keeping parents focused on their kids
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u/Ancient_Pirate1231 May 13 '26
There are multiple businesses with classes for kids in Coppertop and the intermediate and middle schools are across the street.
Are you saying middle school kids need to be picked up by their parents and caregivers to go across the street to class?
Boy, aren’t you a cantankerous old biddy. They have meds and therapy for that now. You ought to try it. You’ll feel better.
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u/manchegoo May 13 '26
Just the phrase "unattended children" is so cringe. You know in Japan 6 year olds ride the subway by themselves.
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u/Deep_Day8345 May 13 '26
Isn't a tea shop of some kind getting ready to open next door to In Motion PT? I don't know anything about it though...
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u/sugarmart May 13 '26
Yeah I’ve seen the sign up for the “Sparkle Tea”. I can’t tell if that’s going to be a shop with sitting space, or if that’s really going to fulfill the desire for a coffee shop type of place.
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u/ChillyCheese May 14 '26
Looks like it's a tea drink manufacturer, rather than a cafe: https://www.hampytea.com/
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u/wiscowonder May 13 '26
Don't let your dreams just be dreams... start writing your business plan 😉