Seattles Best Coffee

Seattle’s Best Coffee began in 1969 as a small ice cream and coffee shop called the Wet Whisker, founded by Jim Stewart on Whidbey Island near Seattle. Stewart’s hands-on approach to roasting coffee beans helped the business grow quickly, leading to a second location on Seattle’s Pier 70 and a rebranding as Stewart Brothers Coffee. The company adopted the Seattle’s Best Coffee name in 1991 after winning a local competition, a milestone that marked its emergence as a recognized coffee brand in the region.

During the 1990s, Seattle’s Best Coffee expanded its presence with new shops in the Pacific Northwest and started franchising under new ownership. The brand continued to evolve, introducing organic coffee and growing its footprint beyond its original market. In 1998, AFC Enterprises acquired the company, fueling further expansion. A major shift occurred in 2003 when Starbucks purchased Seattle’s Best Coffee, integrating it into a larger coffee portfolio and leveraging broader distribution channels.

For nearly twenty years, Seattle’s Best Coffee operated as a subsidiary of Starbucks, offering its products in cafes, grocery stores, and foodservice outlets across North America. In October 2022, the brand was acquired by Nestlé, which now manages Seattle’s Best Coffee within its global coffee portfolio. As of November 2025, the company is not actively expanding its physical store footprint. Instead, Seattle’s Best Coffee focuses on retail and foodservice distribution, emphasizing packaged coffee and branded programs in third-party venues. The number of legacy café locations has declined, and there is no active franchising or new store development underway.

Seattle’s Best Coffee stands out for its approachable blends and value positioning, maintaining credibility through decades of innovation and integration into major corporate portfolios. Today, the brand’s presence is strongest in retail and foodservice formats, offering flexibility for landlords and developers interested in established coffee concepts that can anchor a variety of venues. The company’s evolution from a local shop to a recognized name within Nestlé’s coffee lineup reflects its ability to adapt to changing market dynamics and distribution strategies.