A guest post by Zoe R. (9), an incoming 4th grader at Cascadia Elementary School.
Marmalade is the wonderful, cozy, corner gelato store on Fremont Avenue North and North 42nd Street near B.F. Day Elementary School. Marmalade opened this summer after two years of anticipation from neighbors waiting to see what the new shop would bring. Now, on summer afternoons, a line forms outside Marmalade, with people from Fremont and beyond, bustling to get some of that delicious gelato! On a recent Tuesday evening, Fremont neighbors Zoe, and Dan (her father), sat down to interview Marmalade’s owner, Christopher Yamka, over an Italian soda.
Christopher’s connections to the neighborhood and background in restaurant and wine in Seattle inspired him to open his shop. But Marmalade was under construction for two summers before it opened. The reason it took a few summers was because of many obstacles Christopher faced. One was finances – Christopher ended up as one of only three original business partners to see the opening through. Another was that it took a long time because of the normal processes of getting it approved by the city. Christopher had to cut the floor, he had to tear out every single wall, remove all the plaster, and re-insulate. Everything on the interior had to be gutted and replaced to bring it up to code. During the processes, Christopher got COVID, and still suffers from some long COVID symptoms today. During the long build-out, Christopher used half-finished Marmalade as a shop. He would come to town, all his tools would be here, get some projects done, then go home.
Menu
Marmalade is creating a unique style of gelato, with a northwest version of French and Italian classic recipes. The sorbettos are vegan, with tapioca instead of egg whites. They use local, wholesome, and natural ingredients wherever they can. Christopher says everything is made in-house daily.
History of the building
In 1928 the building that Marmalade is today, was built. On one side was a grocery store and a pharmacy on the other side. One long-time neighbor stopped by to tell Christopher that he used to sneak off from B.F. Day to buy RC colas and Baby Ruths from the grocery store as a kid. Another neighbor used to run a dance studio in the building.
Outside and interior
Christopher said that when he had gotten the building, the windows were boarded and the building was in poor shape. Christopher also informed us that the little cubes that you see on the overhang weren’t there. So he and his team fixed it based off of the picture of the original building. They tried to make it exactly like the picture. Everything except the color. How the color was chosen was by Christopher — and one of his business partners who are no longer in the project — were challenging each other to see who could come up with the most bold colors that would contrast. The exterior is what Christopher’s partner chose, and Christopher did the interior. The wall paper in Marmalade’s bathroom was the inspiration for the rest. The pink is called Opera in watercolor and Rose Tyrion in oil paint.
Why ‘Marmalade?’
The name ‘Marmalade’ wasn’t originally Christopher’s idea. It was his friend James’ idea. One day the two friends were brainstorming ideas, and James thought of Marmalade, and Christopher thought it fit. Marmalade is a kind of Southern treat. James grew up in the Arkansas, and Christopher grew up in Texas, so the two friends were inspired by Southern cuisine, too.
Still expanding
Christopher is still working on expanding Marmalade’s stock and entertainment. Marmalade is now selling crepes! And Christopher is considering scooter gelato delivery for the neighborhood. So make sure you’re on the lookout for that. Christopher also has a plan to make the back of Marmalade a place to hold fashion shows, art shows, and even live music. He also will be running the back as a bar. So, make sure you check out Marmalade and its offers frequently!