The quiet southeast corner of California Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street is about to wake up again. Anchorhead Coffee is moving into the longtime Junction crossroads, with plans for a fall opening and an early preview pop-up during the neighborhood’s Summer Fest. The former Starbucks space will flip from corporate green to local beans, courtesy of a Seattle roaster known for small-batch coffee and playful specialty drinks. Junction neighbors could get their first taste of Anchorhead on the street before the permanent shop ever opens its doors.
According to West Seattle Blog, Anchorhead is aiming to be fully up and running by fall, and the West Seattle Junction Association’s Summer Fest planning team expects the roaster to run a coffee pop-up at the future corner location. That update follows earlier reporting that the company had already secured a lease for the high-profile spot.
Local roaster with a growing footprint
Anchorhead started as a small-roast operation and has grown into a multi-location Seattle roaster with a reputation for inventive drinks and award-winning espresso, according to Westside Seattle. The company’s own site highlights its small-batch roasting approach along with its existing cafes and wholesale partners.
What the space was
The corner address at 4233 SW Alaska Street has sat empty since Starbucks shut down its Junction store. West Seattle Blog reported that the chain’s last day of business there was August 1, 2025, and that a new lease for the corner was already in the works. Anchorhead’s plan will officially bring life back to one of the Junction’s most visible commercial corners.
Pop-up at Summer Fest
West Seattle’s Summer Fest, scheduled for July 10–12, typically pulls in a big neighborhood crowd, giving Anchorhead a ready-made stage for its first Junction appearance, according to the festival’s official site. West Seattle Summer Fest lists a full vendor lineup for the weekend and is known as the kind of event where future tenants use pop-ups to test-drive new spots with locals.
Anchorhead’s move would be another example of a local operator sliding into a vacancy left by a national chain, a small but notable shift as the Junction’s business mix continues to evolve. The company says the build-out is still in early stages, so neighbors can expect more details on timing and what will be on the menu as the Summer Fest pop-up and planned fall opening get closer.
