Coffee Fest Seattle Recap

Monday October 7, 2013 // By Liam Bucher

Seattle, WA… commonly pictured as a gloomy, rainy city, nestled in between Puget Sound and Lake Washington (both stunning to look at). This past weekend, a few BPS® peeps ventured to this city for the always entertaining Coffee Fest. Together on this trip was Jay, Jon Weller, Dottie (and her husband, Mike), and me.

The flight to Seattle was stunning, giving us a view of mountain ranges and a quick glimpse of tall peaks, quickly covered up by a sea of clouds. While staring out the window of the plane was a sight to behold, the streets and surroundings in Seattle were even more impressive. Shortly after landing we made our way to the hotel, quickly checking in, then heading to a wonderful Italian pizza bar, via Tribunali. This restaurant felt like it was straight out of Italy, hosting some of the best pizza in Seattle, and true to its humble beginnings on the streets of Italy.

Friday started with a tour of the DaVinci Syrups bottling plant, which is something that I would encourage anyone to do should the opportunity arise. The speed and precision of the process is jaw dropping! The tour was followed by a delicious lunch at Barrios, a local Mexican restaurant with some twists on classic dishes, prepared perfectly. Shortly after we trekked to Coffee Fest, walking off our heavy lunch. Coffee Fest Seattle is different than the other shows for BPS as we do not exhibit, but walk the floor instead. It allows us to see the show with a different perspective and also to try some cool new products like coffee soda, pancake sandwiches, and much more!

After a few hours walking and visiting our awesome vendors’ booths, we departed for a tasty dinner at a restaurant called Dragon Fish. This dinner was filled with plate after plate of delicious asian dishes. Chicken, beef, seafood, it was all there accompanied with gourmet sauces and fresh vegetables. After this meal it was time to hit the hay with an extremely full belly!

Saturday, we rose as the fog rolled into Puget Sound and near the Pike Place Public Market, which is a must-see if you are in Seattle. Stroll the market to find fresh vegetables, fish tossing, Seattle souvenirs, and talented musicians displacing the silence. Breakfast was the occasion as we settled into a table on the top floor of the famous Lowell’s Restaurant. Gourmet breakfast foods stuffed with crab, bacon, fresh greens as well as just about any other morning food you can think of, and in a hefty serving. After breakfast, we had a few hours to roam the city before heading back to the convention center. We decided to head over to the Space Needle where Dottie and Mike rode to the top for a view unlike any other.

Next it was back to the show for more time on the floor and visiting with our friends and partners. It seemed like there was a great turnout for the show this year and the craving for all things specialty coffee was coherently present. It was a great experience attending the show as an exhibitor, and to be able to speak with more people and visit more booths throughout the weekend. Saturday night ended with a great time bowling at the Garage on Capitol Hill, then it was off to bed for an early morning flight home.

At the conclusion of the weekend, we were ready to get home and re-energize for the week ahead, but I know I will be remembering this Coffee Fest for quite some time and all the wonderful people I met while attending! Thank you to everyone who made the trip wildly resourceful and extremely fun!