Kate Opatz and Niko Ciel join us to talk about Laurel, their sunny (and diminutive!) new coffee shop/cocktail bar on East Olive Way—an aesthetic foil to Montana Bar, Kate’s quintessential dark, moody dive next door. Niko and Kate tell us about their concept for Laurel, their artistic inspiration in designing the space, and how they ensure that Laurel is as dialed in as a coffee shop as it is as a bar, and vice versa.
We also discuss the moving target that is How to Run a Successful Bar in Seattle in 2025, and whether or not there’s even an answer. Is there anything the city can do to ease barriers and encourage success? Or is it all just rolling with the punches?
Plus Meg discovers a weird new treat from Grocery Outlet to unbox on the show, Mark discovers that Nick Lowe can still play bangers at age 75, and we all discover the local restaurant news—and our favorite bites—of the week.
Follow Montana Bar and Montana Badlands on Instagram
Follow Nacho Borracho on Instagram
Check out Plymouth Housing, a permanent supportive housing organization in Seattle dedicated to providing stable housing and other crucial resources to adults facing homelessness.
00:00 Intro
03:30 Opening Laurel
10:30 First Cocktails on Tap in Seattle
14:39 Pre-News Tasting!
17:53 Restaurant News This Week
29:05 What Does It Take to Run a Successful Bar?
39:00 Thanks, I Ate It!
53:53 Coming Up Next
