| JACKSON, MS (January 19, 2010)—Nationally known Seattle’s Best Coffee cafe has opened its first Jackson location at Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Jackson in the King Edward at 235 East Capitol St.
Like existing Seattle’s Best Coffee locations, the cafe at the King Edward will serve the full line of Seattle’s Best Coffee’s uncommonly smooth line up of coffee and non-coffee beverages, including lattes, mochas, hand-shaken cold brewed coffees and the JavaKula™ blended beverage—the Company’s signature blended beverage line. In addition, the cafe will offer a fresh food menu, featuring pastries and bakery items.
King Edward formally opened with an official ribbon-cutting a week before Christmas, 2009, bringing life back to the venerable building that had been vacant for 42 years. The Seattle’s Best Coffee café has its own entrance on Capitol Street and is accessible from the lobby of the hotel as well.
Majority owner and developer HRI Properties of New Orleans teamed with Jackson developer David Watkins and former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister to restore the King Edward building into a 186-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel and 64 luxury apartments on the top floors, representing a total investment of $90 million in Jackson’s downtown.
“We are very excited that Seattle’s Best Coffee is part of the historic King Edward renovation project,” said Miro Lago, general manager of the hotel. “This represents the perfect blend of a national brand like Seattle’s Best Coffee and the heritage local brand of the King Edward. The café instantly became the hot spot to meet for residents and visitors in downtown Jackson.”
Seattle’s Best Coffee was founded in 1970 and retains a strong link to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest coffee culture, serving as the Company’s home region for more than 39 years. Seattle’s Best Coffee’s uncommonly smooth-roast delivers a rich and balanced taste. The Company roasts only the finest high-quality arabica beans, specifically selected to create a broad product portfolio including blends, organic and flavored coffee offerings that help to satisfy the variety-seeking nature of coffee consumers.
The Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Jackson hotel is designed to accommodate groups with approximately 5,000 square foot of meeting space, which includes the restoration of the Grand Ballroom. Many of the elements of the hotel have been intricately restored back to their original grandeur including the rotunda, pre-function spaces and its neo-classical exterior, which was a famed Jackson landmark since the building was opened in 1923.
The 64 apartments, more than 50 of which have already been leased, feature HRI’s upscale residential amenity package that includes granite countertops; hardwood floors; fully equipped GE kitchens with microwave, range, dishwasher and refrigerator; ceiling fans and full-size washers and dryers in every unit.
Beyond access to hotel services, common area apartment amenities include a rooftop pool and terrace with a large community room for private functions, state of the art fitness center, on-site property management and secure parking in the adjacent garage. Residents will be able to park in the garage with direct access to the apartment elevator lobby. The units will enjoy stunning views of downtown Jackson with large windows and 10-foot ceilings.
The King Edward apartments will soon be joined by another 76 luxury rental units in the adjacent Standard Life Building, which is also majority owned by HRI Properties. Standard Life apartments are being developed and managed as an integrated operating unit with King Edward. The Standard Life financing of $33.5 million increases the total investment in downtown Jackson to $123 million in the combined King Edward/Standard Life development.
About Seattle’s Best Coffee
Founded in 1970, Seattle’s Best Coffee has more than 550 specialty coffee cafes and kiosks in the U.S. Its whole bean coffee and ready-to-drink beverages are available nationwide in supermarkets and other retailers and its coffee is brewed at more than 15,000 foodservice locations, such as college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines and cruise lines. Seattle’s Best Coffee’s smooth roasting delivers a rich and balanced Uncommonly Smooth™ taste and offers more than 30 whole bean and ground coffees (including flavored, organic and Fair Trade Certified™ coffees), espresso beverages, signature hand-crafted JavaKula® blended beverages, OvenSong® bakery warm food and sandwiches, and select merchandise. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX). For more information, including franchise opportunities, please visit Seattle’s Best Coffee online at www.seattlesbest.com . |
