We’ve all been wondering, “What will the old Starbucks be?” We finally have our answer. Coming in the Spring of 2020… RidgeWood Bottle & Tap, a new tap house and bottle shop.
The owners of the new establishment are a group led by former PhinneyWood resident Stuart Faris and his wife Michelle. They will be joined by a team of partners with extensive industry experience in Seattle.
Faris grew up in the neighborhood, went to preschool at the PNA, West Woodland Elementary, Whitman Middle School, Ballard High School, and college at UW. He’s as local as they come. Eventually he moved down to Portland for work, but many of his family and friends still live in the neighborhood and he finds himself back often.
Stuart currently co-owns Uptown Beer Co., a tap house and bottle shop with two locations in the Portland area. He and his friends often discussed the idea of opening something similar in Seattle during his visits, but the time never seemed quite right.
According to Faris, “A friend at Red Mill (Burgers) mentioned that the Starbucks was leaving and that they were looking for something that would be complementary to their business. The opportunity seemed too good to be true. It’s the neighborhood I grew up in. It’s my childhood best friend, my high school best friend, my college best friends, and my forever best friend, my wife. We’re beyond excited.”
The group recognize the sense of community and family that the location holds and have every intent of making RidgeWood an integral part of that. They want it to be a social space within PhinneyWood, a stop along your dog walk or family bike ride, where you can pop in to see a familiar face and meet neighbors. They also want to become a premier craft beer and beverage destination for beer geeks and beginners alike.
RidgeWood will have indoor/outdoor seating, expanded bicycle parking, a few TVs (though not intended to be loud), and will be family friendly (including dogs) most hours. Expect around 42 taps and 300 plus bottles/cans in the fridges. Draft beers will be comprised of local, imported, rare, and new and exciting offerings, including dedicated nitro and sour beer taps, as well as non-alcoholic options such as kombucha and draft root beer. There will also be wine, cider, seltzer, slush drinks and other non-spirit based beverages. You will be able to order from neighboring Red Mill Burgers within the establishment to enjoy a beverage with your meal as well as bring in outside food.
From an event standpoint, things are still coming together, but the ideas include Trivia Night, Movie Night, tap takeovers, special beer releases and collaborations, Meet the Brewer nights, as well as local live music. Weekly occurrences will follow a regular schedule with larger seasonal events to be held periodically.
“At the end of the day, we’re starting with this idea. We’re going to listen to what people like and we’re going to become their place,” says Faris. “We want everyone to feel like they have some ownership in what goes on here and what we’re involved with.”
RidgeWood Bottle & Tap is aiming to open this Spring… and they do plan on having nitro cold brew coffee on tap for those of you that miss the Starbucks.
More info to come soon at www.RidgeWoodBottleandTap.com with social media on Facebook and Instagram to soon follow.
*Edited 10/22/19 to correct “Westwood Elementary” to “West Woodland Elementary”
