Jackalope Coffee & Lounge is preparing to open at 300 W. Champion St., Unit 300, in downtown Bellingham, according to a beer-and-wine license application filed with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. The application lists the business under its original name, Gather.
Co-owner Nathan Warner told What Now Seattle that Gather was a working name used during the licensing process. The business will open as Jackalope Coffee & Lounge, and Warner expects to open by the end of September.
Jackalope plans to operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, with Sundays off initially. The extended hours will allow the business to serve as a coffee shop during the day and a lounge later in the evening.
“The whole idea is just to create a space for the local community,” Warner said.
He hopes small clubs and local groups will use the cafe for meetings and events. Jackalope will serve coffee from Lotus Coffee, a local roaster Warner co-owns, along with beer and wine. The owners also plan to apply for a spirits license.
A small food menu is also in development. Options may include charcuterie, garlic bean dip, and open-faced sandwich melts, the Cascadia Daily News reported.
The address made sense for Jackalope because of its history with both coffee and wine. The Champion Street space previously housed Welcome Road Winery and, before that, The Black Drop Coffeehouse.
“We saw the opportunity, and we thought that the timing was just right for a coffee shop again,” Warner said.
The venue is working with the health department as it prepares to open. Follow Jackalope Coffee & Lounge on Instagram for opening updates.
