A late-night walk to the corner of King Street and Maynard Alley will bring you to the doorstep of Miero Coffee Bar, where warm lights, soft tunes and friendly chatter welcome you to come in from the cold, dark streets of the Chinatown-International District (CID). Having celebrated their grand opening in November 2025, co-owners Nation Son and Nicole Kim have worked to curate a gathering space for the many coffee and matcha enthusiasts of Seattle.

Son and Kim describe themselves as newcomers to the coffee business, though they have owned other restaurants in the CID for the past five years. Seeking to fill a gap they had noticed in the late-night coffee market, the pair decided to take the leap and begin an extensive process of tasting coffee beans and curating the menu. Miero’s options are varied, with signature drinks including Toffee Miso lattes, Ceremonial Matcha and Cieros—sparkling fruit drinks topped with caffeinated cream.

“The name ‘Miero’ started off with a really good friend of ours who would say these jokes, like, ‘ciero, miero.’ He’d come up with random slogans and rhymes all the time that truly meant nothing,” Kim said. “When we started coming up with ideas for the name, I thought of calling it ‘Miero.’ It was kind of like the way this coffee shop got built up, it was us trying to create meaning and community from a place that we’ve never known before. That felt very fitting with the name, because it’s a made-up word, so it’s about putting your own meaning into what it means to be here.”

Through the end of March, Miero is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. in observation of Ramadan, a month of reflection and prayer in the Muslim community. During Ramadan, most practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food and drink. 

Son had a conversation with a Muslim friend who expressed disappointment in the lack of halal food options open late enough to celebrate Iftar, the fast-breaking meal eaten after sunset. In combination with Miero’s close proximity to multiple mosques, Son and Kim decided to not only extend their hours but also revamp their entire menu to meet this need.

“We had to learn a lot,” Son said. “Double-checking, reaching out to everybody I know who might know something, making sure it doesn’t come off as culturally inappropriate or insensitive, but also making it really good. Very tasteful, very curated. It felt like the perfect puzzle piece for us, where we were able to expand to a different community group.”

In order to avoid cross-contamination, Son and Kim removed all pork products from their food menu and ensured all options were fully halal. They also introduced two limited edition drinks, a Salted Medjool Date Latte and a Pistachio Cream Latte, both inspired by traditional fast-breaking foods. According to Son, word spread quickly after these changes were implemented.

“We’ve had people drive two and a half hours to come break fast here. It’s been really rewarding seeing people go out of their way to enjoy our food and drinks,” Kim said.

Tashfia Sharmin, a regular of Miero, first heard about the shop through word of mouth and social media posts advertising their halal options.

“I went there for their first night of the Ramadan specials and have been back a few times. Their salted date latte is very good,” Sharmin said. “I love all the staff, they are super welcoming and friendly. They’re really working to create community with everyone, which I think is super special.”

Miero also hosts collaborations with local businesses and artists in the form of pop-ups and events. Currently, Seattle-based bakery Rolled Flour has a residency with the shop, offering fresh cinnamon rolls for sale every Sunday. On a daily basis, a shelf sits across from the counter stocked with greeting cards, keychains and pins designed by local artists as well as various Korean skincare products for customers to peruse as they wait for their drinks. 

Son also uses this space to display prints of his photography, a longstanding hobby of his. These photos, as well as the many books, vinyl records and houseplants on display, give Miero a welcoming, homey atmosphere ideal for studying or catching up with a friend. In the future, Son and Kim hope to collaborate with more artists and continue cementing their status as a community space for anyone in search of a late-night snack.

Little Shop Hops is a column in A&E with rotating writers that uplifts small businesses in Seattle.