What may be Maple Leaf’s most northern coffee shop is open for business in the former Maple Leaf Evangelical Church.
Laura emailed us Wednesday: “I enjoyed a coffee here today and told the fellow I spoke with named Trent, that I would send him information about the ML blog, so they can get connected to the community. He said they opened three weeks ago.”
And Trent emailed today: “I am sending you a message about a new coffee shop that opened a few weeks ago on Northeast 96th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast, called “LUX Coffee Co.”
LUX Coffee is operated out of the old church, now leased by LUX Communities. We wrote about LUX earlier here and here.
LUX Coffee has a Facebook page and a website. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Earlier this week Micah emailed:
I am a Maple Leaf Resident and a pastor of a local church, Lux Communities (1059 N.E. 96th St.). Some time after 2 p.m. and before this (Monday) morning at 7 a.m. our “Community Breakfast” and “Lux Coffee Co.” signs were stolen. They are A-board style signs. We have reported it to the city.
Both the free breakfast and the coffee company are ways that we are trying to serve our community. We are wondering if anyone from the community saw anything or found the signs etc…?
I have been by the Lux coffee shop on several occasions and there were many cars there. It is just getting started. What will it look like when it has the hours of most other coffee shops in the area.
We visited the coffee shop. A nice quiet place to hang out!
Easy with your praise there Thomas. When you blur the lines between church and zoning, the good citizens of Maple Leaf will break out the pitch forks and torches. GOD BLESS US EVERYONE !
I stopped by Lux today – it’s spacious, with big wood tables, friendly people, and great coffee. There was parking for 15-20 cars around and only 2 spaces occupied. What a great place! Much more friendly and less overcrowded than the already-jammed other coffee places in Maple Leaf. You ought to try it!
Rob, I didn’t look closely at the plans. The two units butting up against the sidewalk will be attached with a driveway on the north side that leads to two detached units on the west side of the property.
If the current trend continues each unit will have a garage that would comfortably fit a Geo Metro but would have difficulty with anything else.
However I don’t think a coffee shop that is only open during business hours is going to draw a lot of cars. And given the density of churches in Seattle I don’t understand why more people don’t walk.
Tim will there be parking available for those 4 separate homes, or will it be the illusion of parking such as there is for the condos across the street? These are some of the concerns that (I believe) people are having. This type of thing actually does impact neighbors. In the case of the church there was a dearth of parking only during services on Sundays, or during events such as weddings. Now, with a growing business there it will be constant. Combine all of these factors, and are we looking at a parking problem like Capital Hill?
Sue, I wasn’t talking about zoning. My remark was in response to Mindi’s last two sentences in #28 which asked for population growth to occur in neighborhoods other than ML.
And indeed, you can help expand or get out of the way. Just look at 9607 Roosevelt. What was once a 2,000 square foot home will soon be four separate homes.
Just asking the city to enforce its own rules, nothing NIMBY about it. Our question is; is this business allowed in single family zoning? It clearly is a business as they have a business license for their coffee shop.
There are a number of activist out there trying to protect single family neighborhoods and IMHO you can help or get out of the way.
I just think it’s odd that you expect one neighborhood’s population to be exempt from growth while the city’s (and the world’s) population continues to grow.
Resorting to cheap shots? Classy, Tim.
So glad we aren’t actually neighbors.
Funny how Mindi rhymes with NIMBY
This is an interesting one for me… I asked originally about the zoning for a couple reasons. I don’t personally live in Maple Leaf these days, but I am there 2-3 times per week. My parents have lived there since the mid-70s. There has been a lot of change in ML since then, some good, some frustrating. ML, and specifically the 88th/89th-103rd section between 15th and Roosevelt, is one of the few areas that hasn’t been over run by row houses and home businesses in the city. I live in Wallingford and every time I visit my folks it feels like a hint of old, peaceful Seattle. Except when things like home-run gardening classes and coffee shops in churches pop up in the neighborhood. (It doesn’t help having a drug house a few doors away, either.)
As a side note, I have a cafe work history and generally support any new cafe. But something about the church connection and it being in a single-family party of a neighborhood rubs me the wrong way.
Of course, this is all moot because, as someone mentioned above, the city won’t do a damn thing.
But can’t ML be one of the (few and far between, it seems) neighborhoods remaining that isn’t overrun by “urban density” and the other fancy words folks use? If people want that, move to Freelard, Wallingford or Cap Hill.
My first reaction to a new coffee shop is curiosity – not a burning desire to close them down. I love it when people sell things that other people want to buy. None of the comments above show that Lux is causing a problem – it just shows that some of my neighbors hate new things.
I don`t think anyone is saying that the coffee shop CAN`T be there. I think people that have an investment in the neighborhood are simply concerned about something new, and what it may mean for them. It is not all that different from having an apartment building suddenly built where there was none. (There will be people coming into the neighborhood that don`t have a vested interest in it, they are temporary. What impact will it have for us?)Not really that difficult to understand that there may be concerns, is it?
Several mapleleaf home business violating many of the requirements for home occupancy(business),increased traffic (where we have no sidewalks) visible outside noise,storage, in a single family zoning, the city will not enforce its own rules. Here lies the great frustration.
Not saying the cafe will have this issue. Just saying city trying to promote small business regardless zoning.
I went to the coffee shop on Friday. The available brewing methods are drip via Melitta, French press, and another method that escapes me. No espresso machine. They have tea, as well. Very low key, nice space. Good light, and play space for munchkins. Open M-F, 8 am to 2 pm.
Good coffee, no scrofulous individuals encountered. I’ve had coffee at many other churches, don’t they all have kitchens capable of making a cuppa?
No harm, no foul. Meet a new friend, enjoy life.
I have to admit I’m a bit confused by your comments. I have visited the coffee shop once, and did not find any smelly, messy, low income people around, but yes, I didn’t know the folks there. It was nice to meet neighbors. And good coffee! And, if you have no money, I don’t think you HAVE to pay. Go figure. People getting criticized for trying to bring the community together. Only in America!
I’m pretty sure the church isn’t running the coffee shop as a “get rich” scheme…. I think they just want to hang out with people, and love coffee..
@ J.P. Why do you think, assume, that the patrons are poor and that selling a cup of coffee is helping someone?
Way to go TJ! You guys will do amazing things in your community.
Wow – reading all the comments, I see that I should be Horrified that some folks are helping poor people in the middle of our quaint, wannabe upscale neighborhood – someone check to see if they have a permit for that! can’t have any loud smelly, messy, low income Strangers lurking “round heah”.
Well, my concern about a coffee shop smack in the middle of the block, are all the strangers that it will bring. Those are people snooping around the area that may not have come through before. I am sure that not ALL of them are people of integrity.
Here is where I’m coming from, and its not about money. How do folks feel about a business smack in the middle of an area zoned single family? It matters not to me if they ask for donations without a fixed price. What matters is how much traffic, parking, garbage, odor, noise….should I go on? Question being this seems to be catching on and MLB is right. Sounds like same model as Mosiac. Single family zones need protection
So it’s a for profit coffee shop, where it’s profits are ‘non profit’ bc they are affiliated with a church?
As a single propieter owner/operator who pays ~40% of my income to good ol uncle Sam, I can’t get behind this.
I will let you know if I see the missing signs while out on my treks though 🙂
(I really hope they aren’t haters like the mars hill bullies, as someone mentioned above).
It sounds like the same setup at Mosiac in Wallingford. A cafe in a church, but at Mosiac you only pay what you “feel” is necessary. I don’t have a problem with the cafe in a church. Who cares about wanting to analyze it as a business for tax purposes. If they repeated the model 100 times and were making a ton of money tax free, then maybe. Until then, who cares. Glad they want to help blend into the community and provide a space for people to come together. And this is coming from a none church going person.
New sign was back out earlier today.
It is all interesting. So the church that used to be there is renting to another church. What makes something a church as opposed to any old non-profit I don’t know. ( in code and legal terms) I was thinking they needed to apply for a change of use in order to operate a retail business as that is something new. Churches seem exempt from all sorts of things, that drives me nuts.
Matt, I am an agnostic and was initially skeptical of the coffee shop/church affiliation as well. I think they are affiliated, but after having a conversation with Trent, I think their primary goal is to build a greater sense community in the area while serving awesome coffee. They are very excited and passionate about the coffee they serve as well. I suggest having a conversation with Trent about the church affiliation. He’s very chill, open, and easy to talk to…. I’ll be coming back for sure
From what I gather on their website, they are a church, just not the same church that used to be there. They look like they may be one of those kinda hipster churches like Mars Hill. Ugh.
So is the nonprofit behind Lux in any way affiliated with a religious organization? Is the building still property tax exempt? As long as Churches get their insane tax breaks I’d much rather walk a few more blocks to Cloud City.
I don`t get it. It`s a coffee shop in a church? Is it still a church, as well?Also, it is important to note that while it was a church (for many years), Dorothy Roe was the organist. Unfortunately, she passed away recently. She was a terrific woman. We will miss her alot.
Wish they were open Saturday! I would love to go there.
I’m with you Thomas !
Lux does have a business license for what its worth it looks like. Says its non-profit
http://bls.dor.wa.gov/LicenseSearch/lqsLicenseDetail.aspx?RefID=1944213
@ Mindi. That’s an excellent question. I love when folks think about that. It is zoned SF5000
http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/parceldata/parcel.aspx?pin=8024200775
I’m going to try this place – and tip well to help them replace their signs. What kind of a subhuman would steal an A-board sign?
Excited about this! Have seen the signs (before they were stolen), but didn’t know if it was a church-only thing or not. Am going to try it with my two little girls – I like the idea of a cafe I can walk to, off the busy main road.
Update: Laura emails:
“Worth noting that LUX has wifi and a visible but separate space for kids to play. When I was there a couple thirties-ish guys were playing cards, a few people were having a meeting, and a coffee group was meeting. LUX is a place with a nice vibe and atmosphere. I am not connected to the church. A friend who resides outside of the hood suggested it as a place to try. It felt welcoming and friendly.”
Does a church need commercial zoning to be able to run a cafe out of their space?