Inside Nespresso's new store in Seattle's University Village
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You can play with the machines yourself, or let someone else show you how they work. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
I went Monday to check out Nespresso's new store in University Village, which some of my local neighborhood groups have been buzzing about on social media lately.
Zoom in: The store features Nespresso machines that you can try out yourself, using coffee pods with flavors like "almond croissant" and "peanut and roasted sesame."
- Staff members are also willing to demonstrate how the machines work at a fancy bar, under a gold sign that says, "Coffee as an art."
If you go: There's a walk-up to-go coffee window — the company's first in the U.S., Nespresso officials told me — which lets you order a drink without entering the store. You'll also find receptacles where you can recycle used coffee pods.
- A few tables next to a squiggly shaped seating area let you sit and sip your creations if you choose, although much of the store's real estate is taken up by machines and espresso pods.
The verdict: I went in not really understanding the point of the store, since I have a home Nespresso machine and compostable pods I buy online.
- But it is nice to be able to test out flavors and new machines, before you take a gamble on an internet purchase.
- The staff was nice even when I almost caused a coffee flood by trying to use a tiny espresso cup for what turned out to be a very sizable cup of coffee. (I was able to swap the cup at the last minute to avoid disaster.)
Stop by: 2550 NE University Village Street.
- 10am-8pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-6pm Sunday. To-go drink prices range from about $4-7.
