Welcome to Fast Lane

When you think of Seattle, you probably think of rain. And espresso?
I sometimes wonder if coffee's importance to Seattle sprang from the abundance of rain here. Rainy weather just has that effect on people. Could Starbucks have become the success they are today, if they had founded their business in, say, Phoenix?
We'll never know, but in any case, no one can deny that espresso is popular in Seattle today. Very popular. According to yellowpages.com, the word "espresso" is contained in 165 business names in Seattle. In Phoenix it is contained in only 4. In New York, only 39.
I have loads of information to pass along about espresso and Seattle -- or more precisely the Northwest, because naturally the culture of caffeine has grown well beyond the cafes of coffee's capital city. Over several years I have taken an interest in one particular aspect of the culture of coffee in the Northwest: the drive-through espresso stand.
If you don't live here, you truly can't imagine what I mean when I say they are everywhere. They really are everywhere!
I hope you will enjoy coming here to learn what I discover about the espresso businesses of the Northwest, and to see a few samples of the images in my documentation project.
(photo copyright 2006 Ray Weisgerber)