Coffee Tree — Restaurant in Seattle

8/9/2022 I stopped in for a Frappe to take out. Good Frappe Went in next week for paper and Frappe. Worker slaps his arm -elbow to hand- on the paper I was going to pay for. I had said I wanted to pay for it and then he smacked his arm down and said something accusing me of racism again and I backed up and got away from the counter and him. I replied a hiree of Coffee Tree told me to go to Polyclinic. It scared me. No man tells a customer to go to a clinic and especially assigning that to a woman he doesn't know. Weird. I left the paper and without ordering the Frappe. I won't go back. Too weird.

7/19/2022 I gave time for atmosphere to get better. I decided as I am an old 'Seattleite' that it is not an atmosphere where I am comfortable. So, given I need from time to time to stop at a breakfast bar or other, I would go then and order and take it out. I would not stay to eat etc. Signed: Mrs. Christina A. Wright

Coffee drinks up and down. Staff up and down. Shop not protected from ? electro-magnetic? hits?. Seattle WA is visited with that. Not a good spot for a minority race of King County. I am Caucasian. We are a minority race in King County. Also, one staff person told me to go to Polyclinic. What is that? I did not ask for doctor care. I was only there for coffee and snack to go.

Sun. April 10th 2022. Response to my review not true. I will follow this with Landes and Coffee Tree Management. Signed: Mrs. Christina A. Wright

I did not have time to follow up. I don't live near there now. I just forgot about it. Signed: Mrs....

I've gotten a boba tea here before and it was okay but not the greatest. The lady that helped me was super nice though. But today the encounter I had was off putting. I live in the complex above this coffee and needed to get out of my apartment to get work done. It was clear, when I walked in, I browsed the menu but I wasn't in the mood for anything. I was greeted by a nice guy and another guy who was asian ( I apologize for not paying attention to names) was behind the counter bent over and when I seen him I smile and said hi and he was very serious and said nothing back. So after browsing, I wasn't in the mood for anything they had and I went to the back of the coffee shop and pulled my laptop out to do work. After 5 mins of me sitting down, instead of walking over to me, the same Asian worker was speaking to me across and in front of customers telling me if I didn't order something, I couldn't stay there. I've never had a coffee shop tell me I NEEDED to buy something in order to stay there, maybe to use the bathroom but not to stay there and even if thats a rule there, he could have walked over to me and let me know that without doing in front of everyone. I was going to purchase something but after the nasty encounter I did not want to spend my money on something I really didn't want. I was hoping to use this coffee shop more since it's convenient but after that encounter, I WILL NOT...

As a former regular customer of this coffee shop, I feel compelled to share my experience, particularly for fellow African American patrons. Over time, I began to notice a pattern of differential treatment from both the staff and ownership that suggested underlying racial bias.

Whenever I entered the shop, I was consistently met with indifference—no greeting, no acknowledgment. In contrast, customers of other ethnic backgrounds were warmly welcomed with cheerful greetings. The overall demeanor toward me was often cold and unwelcoming.

There is one staff member in particular who consistently makes it clear through her actions that she does not want to serve African American guests. She has black hair, a mullet, and noticeable piercings. Every time I visit, she avoids speaking to me, while warmly greeting other guests. It’s disheartening to even write this, especially considering that the owners—who are people of color themselves—seem to display the same kind of behavior.

Grabbing a morning coffee should be a simple pleasure and a positive start to the day, but encountering what felt like blatant racism made it an uncomfortable experience. I can no longer support a business where I don’t feel respected or valued, and I would advise others to consider spending their money where inclusivity and fairness are...