23-05-2025
Downtown coffee shop has changed hands again. It's now open 7 days a week
Café Bostwick is back in downtown Tacoma, although in some ways it never left.
The coffee shop on the ground floor of the iconic flatiron-style building at 9th and Broadway changed hands again this spring. New owner Cecile Lahti bought the business from partners Rebecca Fintak and Anh Le earlier this year.
Lathi, who has a guardianship business with her husband, also has past experience in the coffee world, including as a Starbucks manager. But it's long been on her mind to pursue her own shop. She was considering a smaller stand when, walking back to the car after dinner in the neighborhood, she noticed the for-lease sign at 764 Broadway.
They finalized the sale in February, and the renewed Café Bostwick opened in early March.
The space has been home to a coffee shop for more than 30 years, first as Grounds for Coffee, then Tully's. It took on the name of the building, Bostwick, in 2018, but since then has worn through four owners.
The most recent couple infused some fresh air into it, painting the high walls a sage-green (the color remains), bringing in area rugs and plants, and focusing on a French café theme using organic milk from Smith Brothers Dairy. They also changed the name to Cremello Café. Like some of the owners before them, though, they had to manage a few misfortunes, including several broken windows, The News Tribune reported last year.
Lathi, who recaptured the Bostwick Café name, sees opportunity in the prime location — in eyesight of the Theater District, the Thursday Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway and Antique Row. It's also near the city's municipal building, and she hopes to capture some of that early-morning crowd, potentially opening by 7 a.m.
She has applied for a beer and wine license, which at least one prior owner had also done, to provide a casual stop for a pre-show glass of wine. (Presuming that's approved by the state liquor board, extended hours, particularly during special events, are likely.)
Café Bostwick continues to brew Caffe d'Arte espresso and drip coffee, and exclusively Mad Hat Tea (which recently relocated back to downtown after a stint in the Dome District, now at 924 Broadway). Pastries are largely sourced from Macrina Bakery, with breakfast and lunch sandwiches from Memoranda Kitchen. She also makes some sandwiches on site, with a curry chicken salad croissant in the works, she said.
Notably, the coffee shop is open every day of the week.
Lathi doesn't want you to have to wonder, 'Is it open right now?'
'I wanna be somewhere that people can just go,' she said.
▪ 764 Broadway, Tacoma,
▪ Current hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
▪ Details: new owner for coffee shop in flatiron-style building downtown; look for extended hours and more updates in coming months
