Whistle Stop Co-op
Whistle Stop Co-op Beverages – Beverages, Bagels, and Bikes
“A neighborhood is not a really a neighborhood unless it has a coffee shop, a place where people can gather,” said Mona Lee co-founder of Whistle Stop Co-op. Mona and her husband, Dick Burkhart have been active in Othello neighborhood planning for the past 15 years. They saw the vacant lot at the corner of Martin Luther King and Othello Street as a perfect location to start a business that would enhance their vision of community. Situated in the midst of pedestrian activity with people walking to and from Othello Light Rail Station, bike storage facilities, buses, and sidewalk friendly businesses, Whistle Stop serves the Othello neighborhood plan to lure people out of their cars and into closer connection with one another. Whistle Stop is a place for people to come in, get warmed up, refresh themselves, work on their lap tops, hold group meetings, and greet their neighbors.
Whistle Stop serves hot and cold espresso coffee drinks, lattes, mochas, chai, smoothies and Italian sodas in the full variety of flavors. The shop also offers pastries, bagels, muffins, brownies, croissants , carrot cakes, banana bread, and more. Open for breakfast, lunch, and between meal snacks, the menu features Panini and take out sandwiches as well as wraps with several choices of meats, cheeses and fresh vegetables. At one end of the building is a small bicycle shop which offers bike repairs and overhauls at low cost and will be stocking up on bike accessories and repairs for the Christmas Holidays. The bike mechanics can also order or assemble new bikes and teach kids how to ride them and keep them in good working order.
Dick and Mona have invested their own savings in remodeling the modular building in a comfortable living room style and surrounding it by a garden for summer seating. In keeping with their commitment to economic and social justice, Dick and Mona have chartered Whistle Stop as a “hybrid cooperative” jointly owned by employees and customers. Future profits will be shared by members in proportion to how much they spend or work. Profits may be awhile in coming, but meanwhile Dick and Mona hope neighbors and friends will enjoy the shop and make it thrive.
Whistle Stop Co-op
7148 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 722-0460
whistle-stop-bbb.org
7 am to 5 pm, Mon – Fri – 8 am to 5 pm, Sat – Sun.
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