ʔálʔal Café

Restaurant in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

47°36′05″N 122°19′53″W / 47.6013°N 122.3314°W / 47.6013; -122.3314Websitealalcafe.org

The ʔálʔal Café (ALL-all) was a restaurant in Pioneer Square, Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. It opened in 2022,^[1]^[2] and closed permanently in July 2024.

Description

The name ʔalʔal (stylized as "ʔálʔal") means "home" in Lushootseed. The café operated on the ground floor of a Chief Seattle Club housing complex for people of Native descent.^[3] The interior featured Native artworks, including a mural depicting the transition from the pre-Columbian era to modern society.^[4] The restaurant had high ceilings and "rustic" tree-trunk tables. It used dark blue mugs stamped with the cafe's name.^[5]

According to Anthony Monzon of KSTW, the business aimed to "[reclaim] and [reintroduce]" Indigenous cuisine of the Americas "in a modern café setting". The menu included blue corn mush with wojape, wild rice bowls with berry vinaigrette, braised bison tacos with pickled onions, Northwest salmon, cornbread,^[5] and coffee.^[6]^[7] Many ingredients were sourced from Native producers.^[8]^[9]

History

ʔálʔal Café opened on November 29, 2022.^[1]^[4] The business was owned and operated by the nonprofit organization Chief Seattle Club, which provides services for Indigenous people living in urban areas. Profits from the café supported the organization.^[8]

ʔálʔal Café closed permanently on July 24, 2024. The executive director of the Chief Seattle Club said, "Unfortunately, the Café was not profitable, and to continue operating, we would have had to divert resources essential for providing housing to our community. Although we are saddened by the Café’s closing, we will continue to provide housing at the ʔálʔal facility and transform the café into a space for expanded cultural programming for our members and community.”^[10]

Reception

In Eater Seattle's 2023 overview of the city's ideal eateries for remote work, Harry Cheadle called ʔálʔal a "gem" and a "beautiful" space.^[5] Following the restaurant's closure, the website's Harry Cheadle wrote, "ʔálʔal will be missed not just because it was a demonstration of what Native food could be. It was a genuinely cool place to hang out or work remotely."^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b Bellamy-Walker, Tal (December 1, 2022). "New cafe creates cultural, culinary hub for Native Seattleites". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ "Pioneer Square cafe fosters home, healing for Indigenous Seattleites". The Seattle Times. November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
^ "Local Indigenous Food Sovereignty Efforts Uplift the Importance of Traditional Foods". South Seattle Emerald. September 13, 2022. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "?ál?al Café in Seattle to feature Native foods, artwork". KING 5 News. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cheadle, Harry (September 9, 2015). "Seattle Cafes That Are Perfect for Remote Work". Eater Seattle. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
^ Boyd, Sabra (November 15, 2022). "How Indigenous Restaurants Are Decolonizing Seattle's Dining Scene, One Plate at a Time". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ "Chief Seattle Club celebrates grand opening of new affordable housing complex in Pioneer Square". KING 5 News. September 22, 2022. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "What's in a name? ʔálʔal Café serving traditional indigenous fare for a good cause". CBS News. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ Oxley, Dyer (December 1, 2022). "What is alal serving up in Seattle?: Today So Far". KUOW. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Cheadle, Harry (July 30, 2024). "The ʔálʔal Cafe, Seattle's Only Native Coffee Shop, Has Permanently Closed". Eater Seattle. Retrieved August 1, 2024.