Boon Boona Overlook Walk Cafe Grand Opening!

Seattle, WA – Boon Boona, the Seattle area’s source for African coffee and community, has
announced the opening of their eagerly anticipated café on Overlook Walk at Seattle’s 20 –
acre Waterfront Park. Beginning Saturday February 7, the café, Boon Boona’s fifth location,
will invite coffee-lovers to enjoy East African coffee and community connection with a
backdrop of the iconic Seattle Waterfront.

MEDIA EVENT DETAILS
Boon Boona Café Grand Opening – Saturday, February 7, 2026
Location: Overlook Walk Café, Seattle Waterfront Park
Media arrival: 11 am
11:30am | Welcome + Remarks

• Bob Donegan — CEO, Ivar’s
• Council President Joy Hollingsworth — Seattle City Council, District 3
• Councilmember Bob Kettle — Seattle City Council, District 7
• Doug Baldwin — Former Seattle Seahawk; CEO, Vault 89
• Chuck Depew — Managing Senior Director, Grow America
• Angela Brady — Acting Director, Seattle Department of Transportation
• Joy Shigaki — President & CEO, Friends of Waterfront Park
• The Honorable Girmay Zahilay — King County Executive
• Efrem Fesaha — CEO, Boon Boona Coffee

  Ribbon Cutting, interviews and photos to follow remarks.
  In East Africa, coffee is not just a drink – it’s a daily pause, a chance to gather with friends
  and family. Efrem Fesaha, Boon Boona’s CEO and Founder, says, “I’m excited to bring East
  African coffee tradition and a community spirit to this energetic, forward-looking location.
  Coffee is more than a drink; it’s a cherished ritual bringing people together. We are thrilled
  to have been selected by Friends of Waterfront Park for this location, and they have been
  steadfast partners since day one.”
  Boon Boona went through a highly competitive, open request for proposals process led by
  managing non-profit Friends of Waterfront Park, in collaboration with the Office of the

Waterfront and Civic Projects and Seattle Center. More than 50 prospective operators
expressed interest, with dozens participating in early site tours while the café space was
still under construction.

Following these tours, nine formal applications were submitted and evaluated by a
selection committee representing Friends of Waterfront Park, Seattle Center, the Seattle
Historic Waterfront Association, and local business and food industry leaders. Boon Boona
was selected for its ability to operate a café model well-suited to the unique design and
operational considerations of the Overlook Walk Café, and for its strong vision, values, and
community-oriented approach.

Led by Friends of Waterfront Park, the selection process reflects the organization’s role in
stewarding Waterfront Park and curating partnerships and programs that strengthen public
life, support local businesses, and reflect the diverse communities that call Seattle home.

“Waterfront Park was created to be a place where everyone can see themselves — where
local culture, small businesses, and community life thrive side by side,” said Joy Shigaki,
President and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park. “Boon Boona embodies that vision. Their
deep roots in community, commitment to equity, and celebration of cultural tradition make
them an ideal partner for Overlook Walk. We’re proud to welcome them to the waterfront
and excited for the warmth and connection they’ll bring to this new gathering place.”
The café itself is part of the City’s broader Waterfront Seattle program, led by the Office of
Waterfront and Civic Projects, which has guided the planning, design, and construction of
Waterfront Park and its surrounding public spaces over more than a decade.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate the opening of Boon Boona on Seattle’s waterfront,” said Angela
Brady, Acting Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation and Former Director of
the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. “We designed the waterfront to be a
welcoming place where people can gather, connect, and support local businesses. Seeing
Boon Boona bring energy to Overlook Walk and offer people a place to relax and enjoy the
views of Elliott Bay is exactly what this space was meant for.”

Former Seahawk and Vault 89 CEO Doug Baldwin says, “I have been a longtime fan of
Efrem and Boon Boona. This location and his brand of hospitality are a winning formula.
This also feels like an ideal moment to embrace the African diaspora’s contributions to
Seattle and our region as we welcome visitors from near and far for World Cup matches
this summer.”

ABOUT BOON BOONA
Inspired by a journey to Africa in 2011, Efrem Fesaha founded Boon Boona Coffee with a mission to forge long-lasting, sustainable relationships with coffee producers, cooperatives, exporters, and importers from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and other African nations. The organization focuses on supporting woman-owned growers and seeking out new paths into underserved African coffee-growing regions. Boon Boona showcases the beauty and delicate notes of African specialty coffee through espresso-based drinks, pour overs, and traditional East African coffee ceremonies, while also fostering community at their five café locations in Renton, Redmond, the University District, Capitol Hill, and their new Overlook Walk location on the Seattle Waterfront.

ABOUT WATERFRONT PARK
Waterfront Park is a transformative civic space in Seattle, representing nearly two decades
of community vision and innovation. Situated along the city’s iconic shoreline, the 20-acre
park reimagines the area once occupied by the Alaskan Way Viaduct, creating green
spaces and cultural hubs that reconnect people with the water, mountains, and each other.
Waterfront Park stretches from Belltown to Pioneer Square, serving as a dynamic cultural
anchor for downtown Seattle.
Waterfront Park is an asset owned by the City of Seattle and stewarded through a unique
public-private partnership. Friends of Waterfront Park is a non-profit that resources and
manages the Park experience, programming, and community partnerships; Seattle Center
operates and maintains the Park’s physical spaces and leads public safety efforts.
Together, this partnership ensures that Waterfront Park remains vibrant, well cared for, and
welcoming to all.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF WATERFRONT PARK
Friends of Waterfront Park is the nonprofit entrusted to bring Seattle’s 20-acre Waterfront
Park to life—now and for generations to come. Founded in 2012, Friends manages the Park
experience year-round: stewarding public spaces; curating hundreds of free programs and
cultural activations; advancing a welcoming, safe environment; and building deep
community partnerships that reflect Seattle’s diversity and creativity.
Guided by our Cultural Master Plan—developed with input from more than 140 artists,
organizers, and community leaders—Friends ensures programming that fosters
connection, celebrates heritage, and expands belonging along the shoreline. In September
2025, Friends produced the Grand Opening Celebration, welcoming more than 50,000
visitors to experience the waterfront’s new era as a vibrant civic space.