The company pillars supporting Cloud City Coffee

PEOPLE FIRST

What: Always follow the golden rule. Model and support others in their goals to be better and do better as we endeavor to do so ourselves by being humble, open, and honest. Create a safe place where people feel like they belong regardless of gender, race, origin or orientation.

Why: Our cafes exist to create community, and community is created around people.

How:  Have empathy and respect in everything we do. Support the neighborhood and community. Provide employees with support, fair pay, growth opportunities and ownership. Be honest with our mistakes and learn from them. “If you don’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?” -RuPaul

CONTINUAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

What: Deliver a quality product that is handmade when possible, responsibly sourced, and always improving.

Why: When we are proud of the products we serve, our customers notice.

How: Create ownership among staff to take pride in their work. Find new products, or new ways to prepare existing products, to improve our menu.

ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY

What: Be responsible with resources by managing them well, and reduce waste wherever possible.

Why: Being a responsible member of the community means paying attention to the well-being of our environment.

How: Reduce the number of consumables in the cafe through encouraging reusable cups, switching to compostable, and reducing the power and water use in the store.

FUN

What: Create a fun working environment for staff that encourages self-expression and engages customers.

Why: A positive work environment increases employee happiness, engages customers, reduces employee turnover, and increases productivity.

How: Hire positive people. Find methods for improving work life. Always be positive in front of customers while maintaining authenticity.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

What: Create and manage a business model that both furthers our values and makes a profit. Lead by example and provide a culture of support.

Why: A successful business allows us to achieve the rest of our pillars.

How: Be profitable. Have resources available for employees. Maintain a stable workforce. “Run the numbers.” Keep on top of a changing market. Work collaboratively with staff (on all levels) to make decisions to create an open space where opinions, thoughts, and ideas are valued. Lead by example.

All coffee is local

From coffee farms located near the equator, through the hands of processors, exporters, importers, and coffee roasters until it reaches you, coffee ties us together. It is a drink built on relationships that fosters relationships while employing 1 in 10 people globally.

Local for us means Seattle, where we serve community and hospitality at Cloud City Coffee while roasting in Georgetown.

Cloud City Coffee in Maple Leaf was started by Jill Killen in 2002 with the intention of creating a community gathering space. Often referred to as the “town hall of Maple Leaf,” Cloud City is a bustling hub of neighbors, commuters, babies, retirees, little league teams and everything in between. Cloud City was the first cafe to offer $1 self serve drip, a way to provide convenience and fair prices to everyone. It has since turned into $2 self-serve coffee, but the goal is the same: convenience, fairness, delicious coffee. The bar features the Cloud City Blend, El Diablo Blend, the Decaf Blend and a rotating single origin daily.

El Diablo Coffee was started in 2000, but purchased in 2012 by Jill because of its strong community ties. It featured Cuban-style coffee and sits atop Queen Anne hill in the urban and pedestrian-friendly Queen Anne Ave shopping district. This neighborhood favorite was forced to move in 2018 to its beautiful new location at 1825 Queen Anne Ave when the old location was leased out to a new competitor. Even though tricky landlords didn’t sink El Diablo, Covid 19 did, as the location closed on March 17, 2020.

Jill started roasting in 2019 after studying the craft of roasting for many years and after becoming a certified Q Grader via the Coffee Quality Institute in 2017. The time was right to take her passion for coffee to the next level and she feels her love of the product shows in the cup.

Please enjoy our little contribution at the end of a long line that ties us together via a delicious beverage.