Merely put, Kent Bakke is an icon within the American specialty espresso trade. An architect of the late twentieth century American cafe growth, Bakke began importing espresso machines to Seattle within the late Seventies, partnering with a person named Piero Bambi, the second-generation proprietor of the Italian craft manufacturing firm La Marzocco. What started as a relationship to convey espresso machines into America blossomed right into a full-fledged partnership, and ultimately, a task as the corporate’s worldwide CEO.
Alongside the best way Bakke struck influential partnerships with Starbucks, who within the Nineteen Nineties labored completely with La Marzocco espresso machines, the creation of La Marzocco USA, a manufacturing and meeting facility positioned in Seattle, and the expansion of a global community of satellite tv for pc workplaces and licensed distributors. Kent Bakke is the namesake for the La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine, and in 2018 he stepped down as the corporate’s CEO after three many years.
For at present no less than, that is solely the beginning of the story.
“Whereas I do know of some personal collectors with spectacular collections in Europe and Australia, I suppose it’s alright to name it that.” That is Kent Bakke’s characteristically modest reply when requested if that is the most important espresso machine assortment on this planet. We’re standing within the foyer of the Bakke Espresso Museum, an unbiased archive of espresso design historical past and tradition positioned adjoining to La Marzocco USA headquarters within the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Beforehand a marine engine warehouse, this two-story 6,000-square-foot constructing has been fantastically reimagined because the premier vacation spot for espresso machine archival show in America—certainly, the world.
The highest ground of the Bakke Espresso Machine is break up into two components: a gallery exhibition area housing a really spectacular fraction of the general assortment, and an entry foyer/workspace, befitting the museum’s standing as an energetic restoration undertaking. Though the exhibition modifications usually, guests can anticipate to see classic and archival machines from the likes of La Pavoni, La San Marco, Faema, Gaggia, just a few actually spectacular monster film set piece Kees van der Westens, and naturally, La Marzocco.
The primary ground can also be house to archival print supplies courting again to the Seventies, together with a number of early items of espresso press showing in publications reminiscent of Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Instances, in addition to a formidable assortment of books on the historical past of espresso and espresso.
Down beneath the showroom sits the three,000-square-foot archive, taking on a humidity managed basement and arranged by decade. This area holds lots of of machines, and represents a big quantity of Bakke’s total assortment (although much more machines are saved off-site, and in Europe).
It’s arduous to not be flabbergasted by the depth and breadth of this assortment, from historic double boiler machines to mid-century fashionable designs to former Starbucks items.
The web impact of visiting this area as a espresso lover is just not not like visiting a kind of nice holy websites in Europe. The expression of devotion, the vibrational historical past of all of it, there may be actually nowhere else fairly prefer it on this planet. For espresso lovers, and lovers of espresso historical past, the Bakke Espresso Museum is a brand new level of pilgrimage, and a cornerstone of Kent Bakke’s legacy within the espresso trade.
The museum is presently engaged in a rolling “gentle open,” with appointments obtainable through choose superior reservation. Extra particulars might be discovered on the official web site and through social media.
Jordan Michelman is a co-founder at Sprudge Media Community. Learn extra Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.
Pictures by Zachary Carlsen for Sprudge Media Community
