Café Aroma reopens

Long-time Ridgecrest Café Aroma is open for business again as of Friday after temporarily being shut down by the city of Shoreline over accusations of operating without proper business licenses.

A cease and desist order posted on the door of the cafe last week said the business did not have a license for the operation of an Adult Cabaret. Rumors spread in comments on social media speculated the cafe was hosting after hour bondage workshops. A story on King-5 reported the city’s primary concern was that the cafe did not have the proper licenses for the events.

An online fundraiser to help the owners cover expenses from the shutdown said the cafe “created employment opportunities for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and facilitated space for diverse community events - including kink, live music, art and discussion groups.”

Although ownership of the coffee shop has changed hands over the years, Café Aroma (located in the Ridgecrest neighborhood at the corner of NE 165th St and 5th Ave NE) has been in operation since 1992, three years before the city of Shoreline was founded.

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