A living representation of triumph over tragedy, BlueSteele Coffee Company embodies a community grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of first responders.
On November 29, 2009, four Lakewood police officers were gunned down in this Parkland coffee shop. Three years later, owners, Courtney, Olly and Dylan Marshall, converted this place of sorrow into a memorial for fallen officers. Formerly a Forza Coffee Company location, the BlueSteele Coffee Company now stands privately owned, renamed for the brave individuals of our country’s police forces.
Located at the cross streets of 116th and Steele, BlueSteele is accessible to those on their way to work or school. A place to sit, eat, drink or play a game of chess, BlueSteele offers a variety of coffees, salads and house-made sauces and sandwiches. The shop also offers a program known as “Cups for Cops”, that allows customers to make donations in support of local law enforcement. A second home to many, this memorial location is frequented daily by police officers, students, business people and locals.
BlueSteele values quality in the form of its service to customers but also shows continued gratitude for first responders everywhere. The memorial for the “Lakewood Four,” evidence of the community’s appreciation, is visible from the street corner just outside the coffee shop. The names and images of the officers are pictured on a large, blue, steel monument. Every year on the anniversary of the shooting, members of the community gather at BlueSteele in recognition and appreciation for the men and women whose sacrifices protect the greater Pierce County area. In November 2019, Parkland will memorialize the 10th anniversary of the shooting.
BlueSteel's Monument to Fallen Officers
