It was supposed to be an exciting time for Seattle’s newest Black-owned coffee shop Black Coffee Northwest.
The founders were getting ready to open the cafe and community center for drive-thru service on Oct.1 after months of planning and launching a fundraiser campaign.
But that all changed after an attempted break-in and arson.
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“We were contacted around 3:00 am,” co-owner Darnesha Weary told the Seattle Medium. “We got a call that there was a fire at our space. So, we went there but at the time we couldn’t tell if it was arson until we got security footage.”
According to King County Sheriff Ryan Abbott, someone threw several “incendiary devices” (identified as Molotov cocktails) at the back of the building after a failed attempted break-in, as reported in the Seattle Times.
Authorities are currently investigating the crime through video footage of the incident. Abbott added there was no damage done to the interior.
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As a result, however, the opening will be delayed.
Both Darnesha and Edwin Weary believe this was a racially motivated incident as the two have been very active in social justice in their community.
“We will not back down,” the shop posted recently posted on its Facebook page. “We will continue proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. #hatewillnotwin #togetherwearestronger #community #keepmovingforward.”