General Porpoise
Donut shop · Pioneer Square
401 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Highlights
Handmade brioche donuts & specialty coffee from unique roasters.
Handmade brioche donuts & specialty coffee from unique roasters.
"Two of the restaurant group's doughnut shops have closed permanently. Employees at General Porpoise have unionized (along with workers at the Capitol Hill steakhouse and the famed oyster bar) to push back against what they say amounts to a pay cut after the company instituted a new service-charge system." - Harry Cheadle
"This downtown location remains one of the only operating outposts after recent closures elsewhere, serving as one of the chain's last readily accessible shops in the city." - Harry Cheadle
"This doughnut shop chain unionized alongside the larger restaurants after the parent company replaced tipping with a 22% service charge retained by the house; employees say the new system has reduced tip income for many hourly workers, while management says some back-of-house staff at less busy locations have seen small gains and that the service charge helps fund benefits. The chain’s close operational ties to a temporarily closed steakhouse have complicated bargaining and reduced the union’s membership, a point of contention as organizers press to lower the service charge and reinstate tipping as an encouraged practice." - Harry Cheadle
"General Porpoise is where to spend the day tackling to-dos without missing out if the sun's to-do was "shine today." Massive windows let in an unhinged amount of light beams, their coffee is sourced from areas outside of Seattle (which is a nice change of pace), and most importantly, the brioche donuts are tasty. Just know that General Porpoise closes at 3pm, so get there early." - aimee rizzo
"There’s no shortage of filled brioche doughnuts around town but who are we to complain? This mini chain with three locations from Renee Erickson gets everything right: The dough is airy and not too chewy, the ratio of filling to dough is just right, and the fillings, which rotate frequently, aren’t overpowering or over-sweet." - Mark Van Streefkerk
