Food & Restaurant SSF Loves | C&P Coffee Company

As I walked into C&P Coffee Company in West Seattle, It was hard to distinguish the difference between a coffee shop and a small home.  Upon walking in, I first saw right across from the front door a brick fireplace with mosaic decoration and a dark mahogany table in front.  There is a back room to the right with soft lighting and chairs and couches, the back room to the left is the area to order coffee which comes from Lighthouse Roasters in Fremont.

Lighthouse Roasters provides coffee locally roasted  in vintage cast-iron roasters, adding to C&P’s sustainable image.  The baked goods C&P sells come from the Essential Baking Company, Little Rae’s, and Mighty-O vegan donuts, all with a commitment to using organic ingredients.The Essential Baking Company as well as being certified organic has a delivery fleet run off of biodiesel.  According to the baking company’s website, “Being certified organic means we don’t use anything made with synthetic additives, toxic chemicals or genetically modified organisms. Instead, organic farming supports healthy communities now and for the future. It also preserves biodiversity and natural resources.”

Mighty-O claims on their website, “Our intention was to make an honest living while being mindful of people and respectful of the environment. We weren’t interested in producing anything that would just end up in a landfill or contribute to the pollution piling up in the world.  Experiencing the Northwest culture, the burgeoning organic food movement, and sharing thoughts with our friends and community, we were inspired to create an organic donut.”

C&P’s shop feels eclectic with seemingly found objects displayed throughout the coffee house, including a small wall-mounted grandfather clock, a floral lamp mounted on the wall, rusty candlesticks, and old books disheveled on the bookcases in the walls.  No table in the shop has the same chair and nothing appears brand new.  Everything appears as though it has been somewhere else before C&P with a story to tell from a past life. There is framed “Pete’s Best Pears” advertisement which looks like it’s from the ‘50s with such a low price, or the framed hand embroidered picture on the wall behind my seat that reads “Bless all who ‘neath our roof shall bide bring friends around our fireside,” possibly embroidered by a wise grandmother.

As well as the unique décor that appears to be made out of found objects from yard sales, C&P provides a sense of community through their live music performances, arts and crafts fair, and the option to rent out the place for an event like a wedding or baby shower.

C&P coffee company takes four Seattle coffee and baking companies into their house full of tchachkes and found objects with a commitment to serve the community through local familiarity and environmental cleanliness.  Combining these values as well as the deliciousness of all of the original Seattle delicacies, C&P offers a unique, sustainable and homey experience.

Talia Rudee | SSF Summer Intern 2012