Vandals in a Seattle suburb spray-painted swastikas on the walls of a coffee shop owned by vocal supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, local outlets reported last week.
The anti-Semitic graffiti marked the second time that Black Coffee Northwest has been targeted by racist attackers.
On the eve of the Black-owned cafe’s anticipated Oct. 1 grand opening, arsonists tossed Molotov cocktails into a back wall, causing property damage that delayed the business’s unveiling more than two weeks.
Black Coffee Northwest co-founder Darnesha Weary stands beside an reward poster outside her business. Authorities are asking for the public’s help to locate arsonists who tried to burn her coffee shop down in September. (Photo: Black Coffee Northwest)
Jeriel Calamayan
The Capitol Hill coffee scene is about to get an exciting new resident. Renton’s Boon Boona a growing two-year old cafe and roastery will soon debut its first Seattle location in the neighborhood. The shop will be located at 1223 Cherry Street, replacing the Cherry Street Coffee House, and aims to open at some point this spring.
Boon Boona founder Efrem Fesaha has honed his vision for the business over the past couple of years. The Eritrean-born, Seattle-raised roaster left a career in finance behind after a trip to his family’s homeland inspired him to honor the robust East African coffee culture here in the US. He soon began sourcing and selling green coffee from Ethiopia and, in 2018, opened up the large Renton spot, which not only became a popular place for made-to-order espresso and lattes, but also a gathering space for local musicians and artists before the pandemic.