Good Stuff Coming


Brian Wells had a Vision to open up a coffee house that would serve the community. He did just that on March 31st of 2007 in the Central District. He found a location in an obscure, mostly vacant retail strip and was able to transform the place into a bustling (and much needed) neighborhood meeting place. Brian decided to name his coffee shop Tougo after his young son. The kanji (japanese writing) of Tougo means "to embrace diversity". People initially had to go out of their way to find Tougo, but it has become such a popular neighborhood hangout that Wells recently expanded the seating and children's play area which has a coloring wall, toys and children’s books and rocking chairs for new moms.

Brian seems to have conquered the economic odds and has recently opened his second Seattle coffeehouse in the Westlake area and is eyeing a third location in Columbia City. His secret may be the fact that he goes out of his way to get to know the customers while he makes their coffee. "It's the communities that help you survive," he said, "This is what it's about — building relationships." One of the many positive comments on Yelp about Tougo and Brian: “Brian made me feel like I've been a regular for years. If you've not yet checked out this shop, do yourself a favor and make a point to do so next time you're in the area. Tougo Coffee is the perfect combination of passion for coffee, a welcoming ambiance and genuine, friendly connection. Absolutely delightful!”

Wells was named one of Seattle's Sexiest: 2009 by The Stranger and is somehow also able to find time for a photography business as well as running his coffee shops. Brian went to Ethiopia a couple of years ago to visit coffee farmers with Caffe Vita founder Michael McConnell and Michael Hebberoy of One Pot and snapped many photos.

Tougo is also committed to sustainable business practices. They offer compostable to-go cups and the very pretty ceiling, which you notice as soon as you step inside, apparently sports seven kinds of reclaimed, century-old wood. The walls are covered in low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints, and the light fixtures are illumined by low-energy bulbs.

Tougo supports local artists by featuring their art and hosts many community events. Recently, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony took place in the shop for instance.

You can also post something on the community collage which rotates on the giant flat screen near the counter by going to CoCollage.

For more info: 

Central District
Tougo Coffee Co.
1410 18th Avenue
Seattle, Wa 98122
(206) 860-3518

Tougo Coffee Co
2113 Westlake & 8th Ave
Seattle, Wa. 98121
(206) 628-3518

tougocoffee@gmail.com

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