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Try a giant cinnamon roll with a side of 'velvet foam' at Uptown Espresso

The longtime espresso shops now feature locally-made breakfast items. #k5evening

SEATTLE — One of Seattle’s original coffee companies is celebrating nearly four decades in business – and it’s not Starbucks.

Uptown Espresso opened its first location on Lower Queen Anne in 1984, long before lattes and mochas were ubiquitous drink orders.

The hometown chain now operates six locations in Seattle. It was acquired by Fonté Coffee Roaster in 2019, and continues to be known as the home of “velvet foam.”

The shop located in West Seattle’s Delridge District faced an uphill battle over the past year, with the combination of COVID and the West Seattle Bridge closure. But store management credits their customers and neighbors with helping keep things afloat.

"We feel like we've made it through the hard times and we're really excited to actually have all of our stores open again,” said Max Messmer, Director of Operations for Uptown Espresso and Fonté Coffee Roaster. "The neighborhoods have really come together for us over the last year and really helped support what we were trying to do and helped keep us open and thankfully to all of them, we made it and here we are today. We're open and we're starting to do very well again."

Credit: Kim Holcomb
Now that the state has re-opened, Uptown Espresso has expanded hours and menu items, including a breakfast burrito.

The state re-opening marks expanded hours, and something new on the Uptown menu: hot breakfast options from Fonté Kitchen in downtown Seattle, and their bakery on Queen Anne. Customers can try items like breakfast burritos and sandwiches, blueberry muffins, and a giant cinnamon roll.

Uptown Espresso is located on Delridge Way, Alaskan Way, 4th Avenue, SW Edmunds Street, Queen Anne Avenue North, and West McGraw Street.

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