Caffé Vita

"Founded in 1995, Vita is the oldest roaster on this list and unsurprisingly this cold brew is old-school, dark and smooth. If you put it on ice in a glass with some milk we certainly wouldn’t be mad. Or in a pinch, you could pour some half and half into the can at a highway rest stop. These cans are widely available in grocery stores and at Vita locations." - Harry Cheadle

"If you’re in need of a quick espresso shot to keep you on your feet, you won’t do better than a visit to this pillar of Seattle’s coffee scene. The Capitol Hill Vita is right in the thick of the action, and will be open all day during the festival." - Sophie Grossman

"Once again, Seattle craft coffee powerhouse Caffe Vita is sending not one but two baristas to compete in the U.S. Coffee Championships (USCC), an event that’s part of this weekend’s Specialty Coffee Expo at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Caffe Vita is sending returning contender Gray Kauffman, who tied for sixth in the U.S. Barista Championship competition at USCC 2022 in Boston, to perform in the same competition this year, while newcomer Natasha Solowoniuk will be performing in the Coffee in Good Spirits (a.k.a. coffee cocktails) competition. A third-generation Seattleite, Solowoniuk manages the Caffe Vita shop at Seattle Center, which adjoins indie radio station KEXP’s broadcasting studio. She’s been working in coffee for ten years and designing drinks for five, and she creates a lot of the components for her cocktails from scratch. Both of her signature drinks for USCC 2023 are based on tequila —one stars a homemade chicha morada concentrate made from Peruvian kʼculli (purple corn), while the other features a homemade buttered popcorn–infused simple syrup." - Meg van Huygen

"Caffé Vita, a Seattle-based coffee chain, is under scrutiny for allegedly firing staff who gave leftover food and coffee to homeless people. Management had sent an email stating that such donations would be considered theft and grounds for immediate termination. This policy led to the resignation of the general manager, Isaiah Washington, and a protest outside the Capitol Hill location, urging a boycott." - Tim Forster

good coffee and a fun pierrot vibe! baristas are nice.

seattle