EVERETT – Sitting in the cafe at the Everett Public Library listening to live jazz and enjoying a latte, it’s hard to imagine that the 1934 art deco room was recently used for storage.
The Espresso Americano cafe opened a year ago this week, but it’s already become a vital part of downtown nightlife and culture, said Karen Shaw, Everett’s director of economic development and human needs.
Julie Busch / The Herald
“The entertainment is fabulous, and it’s free, and it’s a nice, inviting place,” she said.
It also fits well into the city’s efforts to attract more housing downtown, Shaw said.
“People want to be around vibrancy and energy and things going on,” she said. “This is one of the types of things people need if they want to live in an urban setting.”
The cafe is especially crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, when jazz, classical, blues, pop and rock musicians play. The venue often is filled to its capacity of 120, said Ron DeMiglio of Snohomish, owner of the cafe.
The cafe has also brought new people to the library, said library director Mark Nesse. Book clubs and a chess club meet there, and coffee klatches regularly convene.
“It’s been a big success,” Nesse said. “It’s really an important part of building a community. The way it’s evolved is exactly as we had hoped.”
The library receives $800 a month in rent from Espresso Americano, plus 9 percent of revenues.
DeMiglio said he only breaks even on the cafe, which is what he expected. The location at Hoyt and Everett avenues does not have as much foot traffic as other parts of downtown, he said.
“I was born and raised in Everett, and I thought this was an opportunity to give back and be part of the renaissance taking place in downtown Everett,” he said.
DeMiglio said he doesn’t charge admission to concerts to ensure that as many people as possible attend. And some artists accept lower fees, he said.
“They can’t afford as much as other places, but there’s a trade-off,” said Michael Powers, a jazz and blues guitarist and composer who has played at the cafe several times.
At some venues, he said, people talk loudly while he’s playing and use the music only as background noise.
Espresso Americano reminds him of places he has performed in Europe, where “people really, really stop and listen to what you’re doing,” he said. “When people are talking, you have to expend a lot of energy getting people’s attention rather than putting it into being creative with the music.”
The elegant room is a far cry from the decor at most other chain coffee shops. High ceilings and windows give it an airy feel. The wood on the walls is oak stained dark brown, and the tables are made of solid oak handcrafted by Allan Cole of Monroe.
Espresso Americano opened a second local location in September at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave. Espresso Americano has 94 other locations worldwide, including in China, Ecuador, Egypt, Honduras and Japan, DeMiglio said.
Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com.
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