Palouse Coffee Club
At a glance
- Roasts inSeattle, WA
- Founded1995
- Founded byMike McConnell
- CafesSeattle
- VisitorsOpen to the public
Caffe Vita is one of the beloved local roasters we follow in Washington: an independent roaster based in Seattle, founded in 1995. Here is what their own pages and public sources say about them, in our words.
Their story
Caffe Vita was founded in 1995 in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood by Mike McConnell, who was an early advocate of buying directly from farmers, which the company calls Farm Direct. Local restaurateur Deming Maclise took over ownership on January 1, 2020. Maclise's first cafe was the Fiore on Sunset Hill, which the company calls the blueprint for its new era, and the Queen Anne Vita began life as a Caffe Fiore.
The company describes itself as independent and locally owned since 1995. It hand roasts in small batches on vintage German roasters at three roasteries, in Seattle, Brooklyn and Phoenix. Its Capitol Hill cafe on East Pike Street is the flagship roastery. Vita reached New York with a Lower East Side cafe in 2012 and added a Brooklyn roastery and cafe in Bushwick in 2015. Music runs through the brand: its first wholesale customer in 1995 was Easy Street Records, and it now runs a cafe inside the KEXP Gathering Space at Seattle Center.
Washington State Ferries began serving Caffe Vita coffee in 2017. Vita says it works with local nonprofits in Seattle, New York and Phoenix, and it has supported FareStart's youth barista training program.
What they roast
Roast levels run light-medium, medium, medium-dark and dark. House blends include Caffe Del Sol, Theo Blend, Queen City, Bistro Blend, Nor'Wester, KEXP Blend, Caffe Luna, Organic Fiore Espresso and Organic Fiore French. Single origins on the list when we checked: Organic Sumatra Gayo River and Roaster's Choice Single Origin (rotating). Caffe Del Sol and Organic Fiore Espresso are its espresso blends. Organic Fiore Decaf and Novacella Decaf. Offerings change with the seasons, so this is what their own pages listed on 2026-09-27.
Where to drink it
The Capitol Hill cafe is the flagship roastery, and guests can watch the vintage Probat roasters at work. Open every day.
- Capitol Hill: 1005 E Pike St, Seattle
- KEXP Gathering Space: 472 1st Ave N, Seattle
- Fremont: 4301 Fremont Ave N, Seattle
- Queen Anne: 224 W Galer St, Seattle
- Seward Park: 5028 Wilson Ave S, Seattle
- Smith Tower: 506 2nd Ave, Seattle
- Sunset Hill Fiore: 3125 NW 85th St, Seattle
Address
1005 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Flagship roastery and cafe (Capitol Hill).
Why buying from Caffe Vita matters here
Seven Seattle cafes, from Capitol Hill and Fremont to Seward Park, Queen Anne and a cafe in the historic Smith Tower in Pioneer Square. Runs the cafe in the KEXP Gathering Space, home to the radio station's on-air studio and a record store. Has sponsored Seattle events including Capitol Hill Block Party, and in 2009 it organized the GIVE Seattle compilation album for local food banks and arts groups. Its Coffees for a Cause line gives $2 a bag to nonprofits such as Lambert House and FareStart.
Every bag bought from a Seattle roaster pays roasting and cafe wages in Washington, and the coffee reaches you days after roasting instead of months. That is the reason the club exists. Why local roasters matter.
About this listing
Listed as a local favorite. A listing does not mean Caffe Vita is part of the club.
Are you Caffe Vita? Email roasters@palousecoffeeclub.com to correct or remove this page.
More Washington roasters
- Herkimer Coffee, Seattle
- Broadcast Coffee, Seattle
- Lighthouse Roasters, Seattle