Ghost Alley Espresso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ghost Alley Espresso |
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The coffee shop in 2022
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| Restaurant information | |
| Current owner(s) | Michael Buchwald |
| Previous owner(s) | Mercedes Carrabba |
| Food type | Coffee |
| Street address | 1499 Post Alley |
| City | Seattle |
| County | King |
| State | Washington |
| Postal/ZIP code | 98101 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 47°36′31″N 122°20′26″W / 47.6086°N 122.3406°W |
Ghost Alley Espresso is a fun coffee shop located in Seattle's famous Pike Place Market in Washington. You can find it on Post Alley, right near the famous Gum Wall. This unique shop used to be a small room for bathroom attendants.
The current owner, Michael Buchwald, bought the shop from Mercedes Carrabba. She used the coffee shop as a starting point for special ghost tours! Many people say the shop is haunted by the ghost of Arthur Goodwin, who was an early manager of Pike Place Market.
Discovering Ghost Alley Espresso
Ghost Alley Espresso is found under an archway on Post Alley in Seattle. It's a very small, "hole-in-the-wall" coffee spot. Long ago, this space was a room for people who helped keep the public restrooms tidy.
In 2015, a writer named Rosemary Behan described it as a "gorgeous, almost miniature-sized" coffee shop. It uses a cool, high-tech system called Modbar. This system lets the shop make coffee like almost any other espresso machine in the world!
Ghost Alley Espresso serves many different coffee drinks. They are known for their unusual flavors, like "salty nut" and turmeric mochas. The shop has a small counter with a few stools where you can sit. It's also a popular meeting spot for ghost tours.
The History of the Coffee Shop
Michael Buchwald is the current owner of Ghost Alley Espresso. Before him, Mercedes Carrabba owned the shop. She also ran a business called Market Ghost Tours. In 2014, a writer from the Los Angeles Times said that Carrabba turned a tiny 147-square-foot closet into this cozy coffee shop and tour headquarters.
In 2013, Ghost Alley Espresso took part in the Post Alley Hooley. This was a fun neighborhood party put on by the shop and a local group. As of 2015, Ghost Alley Espresso was one of only two coffee shops in Seattle with the special Modbar system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop made it easy for customers to order from a front window.
The Market's Resident Ghost
Many people believe Ghost Alley Espresso is haunted. The ghost is said to be Arthur Goodwin. He was one of the first managers of Pike Place Market and helped design some of its buildings. His office was reportedly very close to where the coffee shop is now.
Baristas who work at the shop have said they feel a man's presence there. One barista even claimed to have seen a tall man wearing a hat standing in the doorway! Mercedes Carrabba, the former owner, even read parts of her book Market Ghost Stories at the shop. She did this at other reportedly haunted spots around Pike Place Market too.
