Top Pot

Feaster · September 11, 2003

The Frugal Gourmet stopped by today for a doughnut. He saw the article in today's Seattle P.I.

( http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/138787_...7_dining10.html ) and got excited. Sorry. Top Pot needs the health department's seal of approval before any doughnuts are given out.

mamster · September 11, 2003

He did?

Feaster · September 11, 2003

Hmm. I don't see any doughnuts in this picture. Health and building inspections tomorrow then Top Pot can open Friday.

MsRamsey · September 11, 2003

Owww!! My eyes!!!

tsquare · September 11, 2003

Sorry. Top Pot needs the health department's seal of approval before any doughnuts are given out.

Shill?

wesza · September 11, 2003

Your not permitted to open for $$$$$$$$$ Business, until you are signed off by every govt dept, Health and Fire etc. But your allowed to start training your employees, check out your equiptment, and provide free tastings and samples to ? And if the "Frug", wanted to say hello, and stopped by i'd give him a doughnut anytime. Or get out of the way from his scooter FAST! He is definately one of our best cookbook authors ever. And his TV shows were way better then 90% of anything shown on PBS or the Food Network. He's even now got this biggest picture i've seen on eGullet. Irwin

girl chow · September 11, 2003

The Frugal Gourmet stopped by today for a doughnut. He saw the article in today's Seattle P.I.
( http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/138787_...7_dining10.html ) and got excited. Sorry. Top Pot needs the health department's seal of approval before any doughnuts are given out.

Feaster, just out of curiousity, do you work for Top Pot or a related restaurant? Not that it's a big deal because lots of local industry folks post/lurk here. Just curious. If you are a worker/partner there, please give us the inside scoop :biggrin:

mamster · September 11, 2003

I drove by yesterday evening and the place was lit up and looked like a donut oasis in the Belltown wilderness. I can hardly wait for tomorrow morning, which is a little weird since it's not like I haven't already consumed several dozen of the donuts.

Feaster · September 12, 2003

The plumbing inspector decided to take the day off. He (she) is supposed to be at Top Pot at 8:30 or 9. Top Pot plans to be open around 10 AM tomorrow.

Feaster · September 12, 2003

I just saw a couple other messages on the board that need replies. When Mr. gourmet showed up there were not any doughnuts in the place. Mel, who transferred from the Summit shop to take over the doughnut operation on 5th Avenue, was busy working on equipment glitches and the bakery workers hadn't arrived yet. The Summit operation will continue to produce doughnuts but only for the Summit location. 5th Avenue will take over the wholesale operation and, of course, produce for the 5th Avenue store. Two 5 or 6 hour shifts each night. One for wholesale and one for retail. The menu consists of coffee, doughnuts, other pastries (from the bakery at Elliott Bay Cafe), soup, sandwiches, and soda, tea, and juices.

Mike and Mark klebeck are brothers and together with Joel Radin, operate the business. Brian Yeck was part of the show but decided doughnuts weren't his thing. He now owns Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square. He sells our coffee, doughnuts, and pastries. Mike and Mark also own Bauhaus Studios, a custom cabinet contractor. When they aren't working on their own projects they do woodwork for other clients. They used to own Kid Mohair which is now The Baltic Room. They did all the woodwork there.

And me? A year ago if anyone told me I'd be in the freakin doughnut and coffee business, I'd tell them they were freakin crazy. I'm someone who feels very lucky to know these guys. I'm their silent partner.

coffee_n_doughnuts@comcast.net

MsRamsey · September 12, 2003

Thanks for the inside look and cool photos, Feaster!

mamster · September 12, 2003

I have been to Top Pot HQ and back.

I started calling around 9:30 but just got the message that they would be opening "late morning". So at around ten I got bored and walked down. It was open, and there was a hell of a crowd. The line wasn't out the door, but it filled the downstairs space, and it was about a 45 minute wait for donuts.

The space is gorgeous. One of the least likable things about the major chains is their art direction. There are some Starbucks and Tully's locations that I like, but for the most part they're the coffeehouse equivalent of Helvetica: plain, boring, seen it all before. The Zeitgeist folks understand that chain-wide design schemes are not incompatible with good design, and what they've come up with is something ironic, hip, and retro without the theme park feel. Maybe this will get old when they open six more locations, but for now these are among the most comfortable coffee spaces in town.

The new HQ benefits from the huge sloping curtain wall in front and a balcony seating level set back over part of the kitchen. The kitchen itself gleams. I'd like to see them put in a couch upstairs, but then they'd never get rid of me.

Anyway, I got some bizarrely shaped raised donut (a new product, shaped like something I couldn't recognize) and a double macchiato. The barista was talented, and all of the china is, of course, Zeitgeist-branded. I forgot to bring my camera, but something tells me there won't be a shortage of photos of the place.

This is the last time I am waiting 45 minutes for donuts, though.

ScorchedPalate · September 12, 2003

Following a rigorous taste-test, Seattle Rep audience services manager Rob
Bean announced that "we couldn't be more delighted to offer the amazing Top
Pot Doughnuts, as well as a wide array of other Zeitgeist Bakery pastries,
to our audiences this season. And what could be a more appropriate time to
unveil Top Pot Doughnuts at the Rep than when we're bringing the curtain up
on our season-opener, 'Topdog/Underdog'!"
...snip...
"A theatre is the perfect venue for some of our doughnuts, which have a
slightly more, oh, how shall I say it, 'artistic flair' than your standard
national-chain fare," commented Michael Klebeck. "We are very proud to be a
part of the Rep team this year!"
...snip...
Top Pot Doughnuts may be purchased in the
lobby beginning 75 minutes before curtain and at intermission.

File this one under the heading of "Bad PR agent, no doughnut"

My hubby and I went to the Rep last night and guess what? No doughnuts, TopPot or otherwise. According to the concession dude, they only serve them at matinees. Nice of them to let us all know that little detail.

Damn sneaky way to get me to buy a $2.50 ginger cookie, if you ask me.

edited for typo correction

Edited September 12, 2003 by ScorchedPalate (log)

Feaster · September 13, 2003

Mamster. You waited in line 45 minutes. I waited 8 hours. I showed up at 8 AM to meet the inspectors. By 9:35 everything was signed off and the place is ready to rumble. the baristas know where everything is and how the various machines work. The bakers have been working since 3 AM and we have doughnuts stacked to the ceiling. The other partners are nowhere to be seen and I hang around to see what happens. Lights going out, pipes bursting, that sort of thing. The doors open a little bit before 10. The first customer " I'l take 4 dozen yadda yadda doughnuts." It wasn't too long before I realized things weren't going according to the plan. I called my wife to come on down and lend a hand. Together we did what we could to help the baristas and the bakers. They planned to bake and sell 80 or 90 dozen doughnuts. They sold 190 dozen doughnuts. People were carrying out 4 or 5 dozen in a stack. The bakers were ready to leave at 10. They worked to 3 and called it quits. I left at 4 and the stock was rapidly dwindeling. Tonight they are planning to bake 250 dozen. Just in case.

My take on all of this: I do appreciate the fact that people like the doughnuts and they buy them to take to the office. But what kept me going through all the ups and downs of this project was the idea of an airy space where people would meet, peruse the books and each other and have some coffee and maybe something to chew on. Belltown is a unique neighborhood of condos, hotels and office buildings. People from lower Queen Anne walk through on their way to work. Top Pot offers all these types an oppertunity to meet each other and share. To be blunt; I hope it evolves from a wholesale type doughnut outlet into a community resource. We will see.

Thank you for yor kind words Mamster. Michael Klebeck is a retro kind of guy and he was very specific about the look and feel of the place. Scorchedpalate: I don't know why The Rep reneiged on their press release statement. As far as I know Top Pot has honored their commitment to wholesale customers. Bob Bean, The Rep's spokesperson's email address is robb@seattlerep.org

Thanks

Slent Partner

ScorchedPalate · September 13, 2003

Top Pot Doughnuts may be purchased in the
lobby beginning 75 minutes before curtain and at intermission.
File this one under the heading of "Bad PR agent, no doughnut"
My hubby and I went to the Rep last night and guess what? No doughnuts, TopPot or otherwise. According to the concession dude, they only serve them at matinees. Nice of them to let us all know that little detail.

I hereby take back my "Bad PR agent" remark:

I just got a very nice email from Gary Tucker, "PR Guy" (hey, that's what his .sig line says!) at the Seattle Rep. I'm going to take the liberty of quoting from it, 'cause I think it's eG-worthy:

Your message is the kind of news that sets my head on fire. I sent an
"urgent/priority" voice-mail to Rob Bean, our aptly-named concession
services manager, to see what the heck was up. He called me back to say
that we did, indeed, have doughnuts last night, and the house staff
performance report also confirms it. However, they sold out well before the
start of the show.
...snip...
Because the doughnuts are a new product for us, Rob is still trying to
determine how many to order every night since, obviously, day-old doughnuts
don't go over as well as the fresh ones. Sure, selling out is nice, but not
for the patrons who have to make-do with ginger cookies when they'd set
their hearts on pink feather boas. (Although personally, I think you should
have opted for a brownie instead of the cookie.)

Personally, I think Concession Dude ate them all, or sold them on the black market. :raz:

Or maybe the stage crew shanghaied 'em; they were nowhere to be seen when we got there at 6:40 (50 minutes before curtain time).

~Anita

mamster · September 13, 2003

Nice end to that story, Scorched. And Feaster, I wasn't really complaining about the wait--everyone there was in a good mood and it was fun. There was even a woman who said she didn't work there giving out donut samples.

Feaster · September 13, 2003

A much more relaxed atmosphere today I'm told. The doughnut case only allows for display of about 1/3 of the available offerings so ask if your favorite is in the back. Another kink to work out.

malarkey · September 16, 2003

wow, I sooo need to go. How's it going this week? a bit calmer? Open at 8am??

mamster · September 16, 2003

The place opens at 6. I've occasionally rolled out of bed early and made it to the Capitol Hill Top Pot before 7, when you find serious coffee drinkers and fresh donuts.

Feaster · September 17, 2003

The doughnut business is still strong. Soup and sandwiches start on Friday. A new display case is under construction. The building department doesn't like the railing on the mezzanine stairs. The customers (of course) dictate where the place is going. Deciding how many baristas and bakers to bring in is a challange. How does everyone like the coffee?

Feaster

LainerX · September 19, 2003

I just heard that they're only going to be open until 7pm. Too bad, I was hoping for a new late night study haunt (and let's face it, somtimes adding a GREAT donut to your study itinerary can make a big difference in brain stamina!)

mamster · September 19, 2003

The Cap Hill Top Pot is open till midnight, I think.

malarkey · September 19, 2003

The place opens at 6. I've occasionally rolled out of bed early and made it to the Capitol Hill Top Pot before 7, when you find serious coffee drinkers and fresh donuts.

ooo 6am!! I just might have a make a point of doing at least one really early morning there. I like getting up and going somewhere that early. Its a real novelty for me LOL as long as I only do it for something fun. If I had to get up that early to go to work daily I'd be hatin' life.

LainerX · September 20, 2003

Yes, the one on Capitol Hill is open until 12, used to study there a lot last winter. However, they always seemed to crank the music and open the doors very wide around 10:30 or 11pm, making it very uncomfortable, so I stopped going there. Sad.

malarkey · September 26, 2003

OK, I made it to Top Pot this morning. Bought a selection for sampling. Got to taste a bit of each:

Maple Bar, Maple cake, Maple old fashioned, (yes I have a thing for maple) plain 'glazed ring', valley girl lemon, (lemon curd inside), pink feather boa (vanilla icing with coconut) cinnamon sugar ring, apple fritter, raspberry glazed ring (the one I didn't get to taste).

My faves: Maple cake: Utterly Beautiful. Apple Fritter: Excellent. regular glazed: a few hundred cuts above KK. GOOD COLD that says it all doesn't it. Maple bar: I've never had one so fat. Divine.

And Mamster is right. The space is fabulous. Is everything being displayed now? Are there still hidden donuts in the back that aren't on the menu or in the cases?

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