Which Seattle district housed the first Stealth Starbucks?

The first Stealth Starbucks was in Seattle’s Capitol Hill district.

The first store opened in July 2009 as 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea on Capitol Hill. It was designed as a neighborhood coffeehouse inspired by Starbucks rather than a conventional Starbucks location, with the familiar corporate branding removed from the storefront and interior.

The experiment was part of Starbucks’ effort to test a more local, independent-looking format. The stores could offer features associated with neighborhood cafés, including a different atmosphere and, in some cases, expanded food or beverage concepts, while still drawing on Starbucks’ operating experience.

“Stealth Starbucks” refers to the branding strategy, not a separate coffee company. Other Seattle locations followed, which can cause confusion about the first site. Capitol Hill is the correct district for the original 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea location.