Living in Seattle, locals are used to adjusting their lifestyles according to the weather. Whether it’s windy and rainy or sunny and warm, people in our metropolitan area naturally change their everyday activities according to the forecast.
Dan Pickard, barista of Le Reve Bakery & Café in Queen Anne, has been in the coffee industry for several years and has noticed different trends according to the seasons.
“I would say iced drinks are really popular for about three months, and then the rest are all hot drinks for the most part,” he said.
Pickard has observed that regular customers at Le Reve usually order the same drink no matter what the season, but the majority of people sip on something different depending on the weather. Pickard believes iced Americanos along with macchiatos are most popular in the summer, while hot lattes and chai reign supreme during the winter. He adds that the cafe gets more continuous traffic during the summer while Seattleites are out and about enjoying the sun.
Belltown resident Sean Fraser believes a cup of coffee and a book always makes the perfect pair.
“I read a lot, so I like to hole up in a coffee shop with a book,” he says about his activities when the weather is cloudy and rainy.
Fraser says one of his favorite haunts is The Elliott Bay Book Co., now located on 10th Avenue in Capitol Hill.
Tracy Taylor, owner of Elliot Bay Book Co., believes business is different depending on the weather. Taylor says customers buy more nonfiction and heavier fiction in the winter, whereas they buy more adventure and lighter fiction in the summer months.
The busiest time of the year for her bookstore is during the Christmas season because many people are buying presents; yet, she has a lot of business in July, as well.
On the other hand, for Carol Santoro, manager of Santoro Books in Greenwood, there is no big difference between customers’ choices during the seasons. From January through December, no particular genre sells more than another. “Our customers read very widely,” she said.
Santoro believes the busiest month in the store, besides December, is June.
As far as traffic during the year, a main concern is how the weather is affecting roads. Queen Anne’s Diane Bolme doesn’t seem to think it’s much of a problem: It’s mostly rush hour that gives the locals a headache.
“I would say that people in Seattle are very conscious [about] not letting the rain affect their productivity,” Fraser says.
Natalie Davis, a student in the University District, says she enjoys being in traffic more when it’s sunny rather than when it’s raining. She thinks the city is more beautiful when the sun is shining, and she can embrace the warmth while in traffic. Plus, she can sport a pair of fashionable sunglasses.
Fraser says the months of grey skies breed solitude. When the sun begins to shine again, though, he believes Seattle becomes more of a social atmosphere.
“Shopping becomes more of a social event for people when it’s sunny outside,” Davis said.
At the beginning of every season, Davis is always tempted to hit the stores for the latest seasonable fashions. During the summer months, she notices new styles of shorts and dresses, whereas sweaters and boots are more appealing to her in the winter and fall.
As far as how the Seattleites cope with the rain during the long winter months?
“I honestly like misty, gray days,” Bolme said. “I want to go somewhere where I can see the outside and not be out in it. Anywhere where the environment mirrors the weather — like dark wood paneling when it’s cold.”
To comment on this story, write to QAMagNews@nwlink.com.
[[In-content Ad]]