Palouse Coffee Club
At a glance
- Roasts inSeattle, WA
- Founded2012
- CafesSeattle and Mountlake Terrace
- VisitorsRoastery not open to visitors
Fulcrum Coffee Roasters is one of the beloved local roasters we follow in Washington: an independent roaster based in Seattle, founded in 2012. Here is what their own pages and public sources say about them, in our words.
Their story
Fulcrum formed in 2012 when two Seattle roasters, Silver Cup and Urban City Coffee, merged. It is LGBTQ-owned, and coffee farmer Blas Alfaro is a co-owner. Urban City has roasted blends since 1993, and Fulcrum describes itself as a full service wholesale roaster and retailer with more than 25 years of experience. It now runs three brands: Fulcrum for traceable single origins, Silver Cup for approachable medium blends in the Seattle tradition, and Urban City for blends rooted in the city's late 1990s coffee scene.
Fulcrum buys on multi year contracts under which farmers keep more than 80 percent of the final purchase price, and says over 80 percent of its coffee comes from organic, hybrid or low carbon crops bred to handle a changing climate. It has sourced through Atlas Coffee Importers for more than 20 years, supports World Coffee Research's hybrid variety work, and works with Costa Rica's coffee institute ICAFE. The company says it runs on 75 percent renewable energy across roasting, delivery and offices, and keeps its greener options within 5 percent of standard prices.
Its roastery sits in SODO and its cafe in Belltown; Eater Seattle included Fulcrum on its 2024 list of essential Seattle coffee shops.
What they roast
Roast levels run light, medium and dark. House blends include Discovery Blend (Fulcrum), Queen City, Southpaw, Snoho Mojo, Ursa Minor, Smugglers, Wonderland, Urban Espresso, Jazz Alley Nights, Pike Street, Broadway Blend and Sunset. Single origins on the list when we checked: Colombia Pink Bourbon Condor, Colombia Sidra Bourbon Las Flores, Costa Rica Aquiares Milenio and Annual Costa Rica Heritage Collection. Several blends are sold for espresso, including Urban Espresso, Southpaw and Ursa Minor, plus a Decaf Espresso. Decaf Espresso and Colombia Decaf. Offerings change with the seasons, so this is what their own pages listed on 2026-09-27.
Where to drink it
The SODO roastery takes visits by appointment only. The Belltown cafe and the Urban City Coffee cafe in Mountlake Terrace are open to the public.
- Fulcrum Cafe (Belltown): Seattle
- Urban City Coffee Cafe: Mountlake Terrace
Address
4660 Ohio Avenue South, Suite A, Seattle, WA 98134
Roastery in SODO (visits by appointment only).
Why buying from Fulcrum Coffee Roasters matters here
Roasts in Seattle's SODO district and runs a cafe in Belltown plus an Urban City cafe in Mountlake Terrace. Blend names nod to Seattle places, such as Pike Street, Broadway, Queen City and Jazz Alley Nights. Offers year round support to POC and LGBTQIA+ communities through programming and the use of its retail spaces. Had about 30 employees in 2021.
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 Fulcrum Coffee Roasters is part of the club.
Are you Fulcrum Coffee Roasters? Email roasters@palousecoffeeclub.com to correct or remove this page.
More Washington roasters
- Seven Coffee Roasters, Seattle
- Kuma Coffee, Seattle
- Victrola Coffee Roasters, Seattle