Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
PIKE PLACE MARKET
A short stroll along the Elliott Bay waterfront will take you to the famous Pike Place Market, one of the oldest of its kind in the US and among Seattle’s most popular tourist stops. A must-see is Pike Place Fish Market – an open-air market that’s home to countless seafood stalls. Be on the lookout for the highly entertaining “flying fish” shenanigans where fishmongers hurl produce to each other over the heads of shoppers. The theatrics were first introduced in the mid ’80s, when the then relatively unknown market was struggling to attract custom and stallholders were forced to employ unusual tactics to keep it open. The amusing antics did the job and the market has now become a worldfamous attraction. Just be sure to mind your head, especially in areas with signs reading, “Caution: Lowflying Fish”. pikeplacefish.com
Pike Place Market features other fresh-produce shops, selling everything from fruit to ostrich eggs. The famous Beecher’s Handmade Cheese factory includes a retail shop and café that creates cheese-based meals. The signature macaroni and cheese based on the recipe of founder Kurt Beecher Dammeier has been extensively reviewed and raved about by the likes of The New York Times and The Washington Post. beechershandmadecheese.com
Another noteworthy stop, particularly for caffeine-addicts, is the original Starbucks Coffee store. After a brief spell at Western Avenue in 1971, the small independent coffee house moved to Pike Place in 1977. It would take another decade before the original owners, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker sold their “chain” of six Starbucks stores to former employee Howard Schultz, who would transform the business into the juggernaut that it is today.
The original store has been well preserved and remains largely unchanged. A particularly noticeable feature is the brand’s signage at the entrance, which still depicts the company’s original logo – that of a bare-breasted siren in all her glory. Starbucks is named after a minor character in Moby Dick, of which Baldwin, Siegl and Bowker were all fans. The original logo was therefore designed to evoke the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders.
starbucks.com