There’s no missing the Everett coffee shop boom, even if you don’t hang out in them much. I fall in that category, but I drive by Sirens Market & Coffee House a couple of times a week.

I wanted to check it out because a friend recently asked where she could pick up some coffee after brunch. She just wanted some energy for antique shopping, but ended up finding a nice necklace in the shop’s well-stocked boutique.

Owner Kristie McBride sat down with me the following week to tell me her story. Her son owns the building, and they planned to renovate the space next door together, but when Kroakers closed, they were able to move right in with much of the work already done.

Another thing that was mostly ready was the selection of gifts and décor for sale. “It’s just stuff that I love, that I’ve picked up for years. I’ve been crafting and collecting for many years, and my husband is glad that it’s not all in our garage and our house now.”

I asked if the shop is the culmination of something that’s been a bit of a problem for her. She laughed and said, “I would say a dream.” Then she explained that she named her shop for the group of girlfriends she ran around with ten years ago when they all happened to be single at the same time. They called themselves "The Sirens" and they all had nicknames, which you can find hidden around the store.

Kristie wants Sirens Market to be a fun place to hang out as well as a performance venue and community meeting space. She also believes in spreading kindness via “suspended coffee,” the purchase of a coffee someone else can have for free later, for any reason.

“I know that there’s people hurting in our community and not quite making it. Stuff happens. People can pay it forward, and I just love that.”

This isn’t a chain of people in a drive-thru who can afford their purchases paying for the person behind them where only the first person buys an extra; it’s one-to-one giving for people having a hard time.

“My goal is for that suspended coffee to be bigger, for people to be donating so that we can go once a month, to once a week doing food. I want to get a van and go out and feed where we can.”

While she moves forward with these goals and other events to enhance the community, the shop is already a great neighborhood spot to shop, hang out, have coffee, and eat. I came back one more time for lunch to try the French dip, her best seller. You can order half a sandwich with a cup of soup or side salad, so I had mine with a beet salad.

That’s a really nice bun and I’m surprised a half sandwich is so big. The jus had a great Worcestershire taste and I’m not embarrassed to say I drank it all. The salad had a very generous pile of beets and when Kristie realized she forgot the feta, she brought over a lot of it for me to add.

I’m a big fan of breakfast sandwiches, and I’ll be back soon to try hers, all of which are available on bagels or croissants.

Sirens Market & Coffee House (CLOSED)
3021 Rucker Ave.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 8 AM-4 PM, Saturday 10 AM-5 PM

Find out more on the shop’s website and Facebook page.

Christopher Bragg works from home in Everett and loves walking, swimming, and cats. You can find him all over town, but only if you keep weird hours and avoid crowds like he does.