23rd and Jackson: Coffee TAB and Central District Errands

The coffee counter at 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street reopened this September after four empty years. The grocery store and pharmacy across from it have not. That leaves the Central District's best-known corner in an unusual spot. You can now buy a cortado, a plate of catfish and a ticket to a jazz show within a few blocks of it. To fill a prescription or buy a week of groceries, you have to leave it.

If your routine still runs on the 2023 version of this corner, here is where things stand as of early October 2026.

Four Years, One Espresso Machine

Coffee TAB opened in the former Starbucks at 2300 S Jackson St. by September 21. Axios reported that the space had been empty for four years, and the posted hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The Starbucks there closed in July 2022. That gap matters because of the building's history. CHS notes that the 23rd and Jackson location was the company's first standalone cafe, part of a string of stores developed with investors including Magic Johnson.

The space didn't sit empty for lack of trying. Vulcan Real Estate, the City of Seattle and Black Coffee Northwest worked on a plan to open a new cafe there. It had backing from Mayor Bruce Harrell's office and District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, and it fell apart. Coffee TAB took the lease next, and the opening was announced jointly with Vulcan, which owns the building and the shopping center around it.

The operator is a small nonprofit, which helps explain why this one opened. Jonathan Tran started Coffee TAB in 2022, and its other cafes are in Belltown and Pioneer Square. Behind the counter is an 8-to-12-week paid barista apprenticeship for young adults facing barriers to work, including people dealing with housing instability or leaving foster care. The South Seattle Emerald reported that all five staff hired for the Central District location had completed that program. The menu covers single-origin espresso, ciabatta breakfast sandwiches and pastries. The nonprofit also runs public "Barista Basics" and latte art workshops.

At a video marking the opening, State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña put the reaction plainly:

"Because 23rd and Jackson is the heart of the Central District. It's the heart of our community, and this place has been empty for way too long. Our young people and our elders need a place to hang out, and the coffee is really delicious."

The next date to know is Saturday, October 24. That's when Coffee TAB holds "Sip for a Cause," a fundraiser with drinks, light bites, a silent auction and a panel of apprentices. Proceeds support the apprenticeship program. No start time or ticket link had been published at last check, and Secret Seattle points readers to Coffee TAB's Instagram for details.

The Storefronts Still Dark

Across the intersection, the bigger spaces tell a different story. The Amazon Fresh, which had replaced Red Apple, closed abruptly in February. When the Emerald asked about it, Amazon pointed to a company statement about focusing on online grocery delivery and expanding Whole Foods Market.

The Walgreens had been open for nearly 30 years, and its pharmacy was the last one left in the Central District. It was scheduled to close for good on May 19 at noon. CHS's September coverage of Coffee TAB still described both the Walgreens building and the Amazon Fresh space as shuttered.

The two spaces have different owners, so they won't necessarily fill on the same timeline. Vulcan kept the shopping center on the north side of Jackson, which includes the former Walgreens and the former Starbucks. On the southeast corner, Vulcan sold the Jackson Apartments to Timberlane Partners, with PCCP as investment partner. CHS reported the price as $171 million, and Timberlane's own announcement gave $173 million. Timberlane's statement mentioned a commitment to "curated retail" but named no grocer or other tenant. In January, Councilmember Hollingsworth mentioned Trader Joe's as a hope. No lease or company commitment has been reported.

Where the Errands Go Now

Until either space finds a tenant, the everyday errands that used to happen at this intersection happen somewhere else. Here is where each one goes, based on the options the Emerald listed in May:

1. Prescriptions. The nearest pharmacies are Quynh's Pharmacy in Little Saigon and the Safeway at Madison Street and 23rd Avenue. Some Walgreens customers got letters moving their prescriptions to the Walgreens on Rainier Avenue South in Columbia City, about 3 miles away.
2. A full grocery run. The closest full grocery stores are PCC Community Markets at 23rd and East Union Street, Grocery Outlet at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and East Union Street, and the same Safeway at 23rd and Madison.
3. Quick stops still at the corner. As of the Emerald's May report, AutoZone, Simply Soulful Cafe and Chase Bank were still operating at the intersection.

Put together, groceries now mean heading north toward Union or Madison, and prescriptions can mean a longer trip still. The reasons to stay at Jackson are now coffee and a meal.

The Corner's Food Spots Are Run by People Who Came Back

The food businesses near the intersection follow the same pattern as the coffee counter: smaller, locally rooted operators taking spaces as they open up.

Wally's NW Soul Experience, from longtime caterer Walter "Wally" Washington, opened in fall 2025 at 2218 S Jackson. That's the space Jackson's Catfish Corner left at the start of 2025, on the ground floor of the Patricia K. Apartments and Jackson Heights buildings. The menu runs from catfish, po boys, prawns and wings to mac n cheese, burgers and lobster tails. We didn't find any 2026 coverage of Wally's, so check its Instagram before you head over.

Catfish Corner's own story runs longer. Woody and Rosemary Jackson opened the original at East Cherry Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in 1985. Their grandson, Terrell Jackson, reopened it in the Central District in 2021, then closed the 23rd and Jackson location in January 2025. This summer he came back with a pop-up at East Yesler Way and 18th Avenue South, across from Pratt Park, in the storefront that used to be Soulful Dishes. It was scheduled to run through August. The menu didn't change: prawns, snapper, hush puppies, collard greens, candied yams and the Captain's Platter.

"I tell people when I move locations, the only thing I've changed is the address."

As of August 12, Jackson was talking with the landlord about taking the Yesler space permanently and said he planned to stay in the neighborhood either way. No later report has confirmed a signed lease, so check his Instagram or Facebook before you go.

A Few Blocks West, the October Calendar Is Full

The best evening plans near the corner this month are at LANGSTON, 104 17th Ave. S. at East Yesler Way, a short walk from the Catfish Corner pop-up site.

• Thursday, October 15, 7:30 p.m. The Earshot Jazz Festival presents pianist Zaccai Curtis. Admission is listed at $22 to $44.
• Tuesday, October 20, 7:30 p.m. The Christian Sands Trio, also part of Earshot. Admission is listed at $22 to $44.
• Friday, October 23, 7:30 p.m. Seattle Black Improv presents Tuko. Tickets are $20 to $25.
• Saturday, October 31, noon. Draw the Block's "Night of the Starving Artist," a Halloween market with more than 20 vendors.
• Recurring through December. A free BIPOC improv jam on the first Wednesday of each month and a free Black Futures Book Club on the fourth Monday. Scope Screenings run the last Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. through January 26.

Saturday, October 24 is the busiest day on this list, with Coffee TAB's fundraiser at the corner. The following Saturday, Draw the Block's Halloween market at LANGSTON starts at noon.

For a daytime walk, Cherry Street Farm & Lab opened this summer near 19th Avenue and East Cherry Street. KNKX reported the opening on June 28. The urban farm and youth-education site comes from Keith Tucker's Hip Hop Is Green. Its hydroponic lab produces nearly two acres' worth of food in 320 square feet, and the site doubles as community space.

If you own a home within walking distance of 23rd and Jackson, what happens to the former Walgreens and Amazon Fresh spaces will shape what's within walking distance for years. We follow that kind of change block by block. To talk through how the changes around this corner affect your home, TeamUp Seattle is glad to set up a consultation or put together a free home valuation.