HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
A 147-square-foot coffee shop in Pike Place Market's Post Alley, occupying a former restroom-attendant room near the Gum Wall and reportedly haunted by longtime Market Director Arthur Goodwin.
1499 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Standard coffee shop pricing; espresso drinks and pastries.
Access
Limited Access
Tiny 147-square-foot shop in Post Alley; limited maneuvering room.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1908 · One of the smallest commercial spaces in Pike Place Market (147 sq ft) · Former headquarters for Market Ghost Tours (through 2018) · Adjacent to the Market Theater Gum Wall · Located in a former restroom-attendant service room within the Pike Place Market Historical District
Ghost Alley Espresso opened around 2014 in a 147-square-foot space at 1499 Post Alley in Pike Place Market, between the main arcade buildings and the Market Theater's famed Gum Wall. The space had previously been a small service room used by an attendant for a nearby public restroom, and was one of the smallest commercially leasable units in the market complex.
Founder Mercedes Carrabba sold the shop in 2018 to current owners Krista Lorio and Mike Buchwald, who kept the same coffee and added their own house blend and syrups. Market Ghost Tours formerly met in the shop, which is part of how it got its name; shop fixtures, signage, and merchandise lean fully into the ghost theme.
The shop sits within the Pike Place Market Historical District and shares the building footprint with the Market Theater (home of the Market Theater Players and, on its alley-facing wall, the accumulated chewing gum that constitutes one of Seattle's most-photographed informal landmarks). The shop's small scale, alley location, and proximity to the gum wall have made it a viral-photo destination in its own right.
Ghost Alley Espresso has been profiled in Wikipedia, Secret Seattle, and various regional travel features. The shop's exterior signage and storytelling materials describe its resident spirit, Arthur Goodwin — the market's director from 1918 to 1941 — whose office during the market's early decades was reportedly the closest of any market manager to the shop's current location.
Sources
According to the shop's own 'Our Ghost' page, the Wikipedia article on Ghost Alley Espresso, and Secret Seattle coverage, the shop's resident spirit is identified as Arthur Goodwin (1887-c.1956). Goodwin served as Market Director from 1918 to 1941 and, with his uncle Frank Goodwin, was central to the market's first three decades. According to the shop's narrative, Arthur's working office during this period was reportedly nearest to the future shop's footprint, providing a documented-figure anchor for the lore.
Baristas have reported seeing the apparition of a tall man in a hat standing in the shop's doorway, particularly during quiet morning hours. Objects on the east interior wall — including framed photos and shelved items — have reportedly flown off the wall without apparent cause. The shop's iPad point-of-sale register and espresso equipment have been reported to behave as if operated by unseen hands, with ordering screens advancing on their own and steam wands cycling.
Founder Mercedes Carrabba reportedly performed regular sage cleansings of the shop during her ownership. Unlike many Pike Place Market ghost stories that center on tragic deaths, the Arthur Goodwin narrative at Ghost Alley Espresso is positive in valence — a market manager whose attachment to his work is presented as an enduring presence rather than as a residual trauma. The shop leans fully into its ghost identity for branding, merchandising, and tour-promotion purposes.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Stop into the 147-square-foot coffee shop on Post Alley, adjacent to Pike Place Market's Gum Wall; the shop's interior is itself the site of reported activity attributed to Arthur Goodwin.
Some links on this page may earn HauntBound a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial picks are independent. Full disclosure
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Free Guide
10 verified stops, rated for families, mapped in order. Free.
One email to confirm, then the guide link. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seattle, WA
The Butterworth Building at 1921 First Avenue (with Post Alley access at 1916) was completed October 1, 1903 by Edgar Ray Butterworth as Seattle's first mortuary. Designed by architect John Graham, Sr., it included an elevator used to transport bodies. Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub has operated in the lower level since 1983.
Tacoma, WA
Engine House No. 9 was built in 1907 to provide fire protection for Tacoma's North End and served for years as battalion headquarters. It was the last Tacoma station to convert from horse-drawn to motorized equipment, in 1919. The station closed in 1965 and was vandalized and damaged by fires before Win Anderson and Bob Lane bought and restored it. Tacoma's first craft brewery opened on site in 1995. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Olympia, WA
The Spar opened June 28, 1935 as a downtown Olympia eating and recreation parlor serving dockworkers and loggers. It stayed family-owned for about 60 years before McMenamins acquired it in the mid-2000s, closing it briefly to restore the 1935 look.