Coffee TAB Brings Mochas and a Youth Mission to 23rd and Jackson

As pumpkin spice season approaches, a new coffee shop aimed to help unhoused youth is set to open soon at the intersection of 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street.

Coffee TAB is a nonprofit coffee shop that works to provide opportunities to underserved youth who are in foster care, facing housing instability, or contending with other challenging life circumstances. It was founded in 2022 and has locations in Pioneer Square and Belltown. The opening date for the Central District shop has not been announced.

The CD location used to be home to a former Starbucks, which closed in 2022 and has been vacant since. Another coffee shop, Black Coffee Northwest, attempted to open a storefront there but that never materialized.

Johnathan Tran, the founder of Coffee TAB, said he had an unstable childhood. His parents were refugees from the Vietnam War and his family frequently had to move due to financial instability. He said he was forced to start living independently at 13.

"I kind of got to navigate adolescence and early adulthood on my own, similar to a lot of the students that we work with from the foster system or the shelter system," Tran said.

He said coffee has always been a passion and that he often found refuge at coffee shops. His first job was at a corporate coffee chain, and he eventually worked his way up to working at a specialty coffee shop. Tran then went on to graduate with a degree in theology, or pastoral ministry, and worked at several churches.

"I definitely did appreciate the church and the idea of organized religion, but I wanted to do something that had a little bit more of a tangible and physical impact," Tran said. "I took my desire and love for coffee and my call to community building, and that's where Coffee TAB came about."

Coffee TAB is one of the few nonprofit coffee shops in Seattle. Its apprenticeship program offers an eight-to-12 week barista training program that teaches youth skills in customer service, coffee preparation, and professional responsibility.

To date, 23 barista apprentices have completed the program, and several have become shift leads and general managers at their two current locations. Organizations such as New Horizons, Treehouse, and YouthCare refer youth to the apprenticeship program. For the new Central District location, all five incoming personnel completed the program, including their general manager.

"The apprenticeship program is the heartbeat of our cafe — that's why we exist," Tran said. "We teach people how to do coffee and how to do coffee well. That opens up the capacity to build a trustworthy relationship, and that's when you get to have those life-changing mentorship conversations. That's why I do what I do."

The intersection at 23rd and Jackson Street has recently experienced several closures. The Walgreens closed in May, and the Amazon Fresh shuttered in February. Tran said he was encouraged by community organizations and his coffee partners to pursue this location.

René Hunt, a longtime Central District resident, found out about the new coffee shop's upcoming opening because he saw posters on the windows while walking his dog. He said he was skeptical at first, but after learning about its mission, he became interested in supporting it.

"I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it'll be a good thing," Hunt said.

Tran said the location is about 80% complete and ready to serve people, though he's waiting on health permits. He said they will announce the opening date on their Instagram account and have a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

He said he's looking forward to revitalizing the community. Being so close to Garfield High School and Washington Middle School, Tran said he wants to establish a homework help program where college students volunteer a couple hours each day to tutor high school and middle school students. When he was a student, he volunteered occasionally at a similar program.

Ultimately, Tran said he hopes Coffee TAB can be recognized for building community rather than just being a business.

"What I love about coffee shops is that they are meant to be a community space, a space where people spend time," Tran said.