Capitol Thrill is one of Capitol Hill’s most unique gift shops. Owned by Jeff Gonzales, this queer-owned store highlights local and independent brands, offering a curated selection of bold and thoughtful items. Since its 2021 opening, it has become a community staple, providing a welcoming space to discover special treasures. Learn about Capitol Thrill’s story, and you’ll learn how this little shop has found its place in the heart of the neighborhood.
Tell us about Capitol Thrill:
Capitol Thrill is my little gift store based in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. We sell a lot of queer-owned brands, local and independent brands. We have t-shirts, gift cards, and a lot of cool gifts.
How did you get started?
I’ve had a t-shirt brand for quite a few years that we used to sell in lots of other independent retailers and large big box retailers around the country, and I’ve always wanted to have my own little store. So in 2021, I found this space, and I was able to fill it with a lot of stuff that I create. So a lot of the gift cards and the stickers and the t-shirts are all my brands.
And then I just found a lot of other brands that I love and that we could feature in the store as well.
I’m a sucker for a cute gift store, whether it’s at a museum or it is just in like a cute little neighborhood. I’ve always loved discovering little places where you can find unique gifts for people and I just always wanted to be able to curate one for myself.
What are you proud of as a small business owner?
I’m proud of being able to create a safe space in the community and I’m happy to still be in business.
One of my favorite things about the store is when a trans or non-binary teenager or kid comes in and they bring in their parents, and they can see things in my little queer retail store that resonate with them and that represent them.
I remember as a kid going into retail stores and seeing rainbows, and being a little gay boy, I loved being able to see representation. Now you can kind of see rainbows everywhere, but it’s not the same for other types of people, and I love to see that interaction when parents can support their kids like that.
The advances of of the LGBTQ movement have been so far that you don’t really realize that people still feel the same way that we felt when we were growing up. They just assume that every place is a safe space, but you don’t really know it until you see it. I like being that safe space for people.
Just sitting at the counter and watching people react to things as they’re walking through the store is really great. To be able to hear people read the comments out loud or read the shirts out loud and react to them. I feel a connection with people when they do that, when I don’t even know them. That’s how I start conversations and it’s a cool moment that I can share with people.
What are some of the popular items at Capitol Thrill?
The Emerald City design is one of our most popular. We did it for Pride a couple of years ago and people just love the kind of Wizard of Oz theme to it with the rainbow. It’s always been super popular.
A lot of my designs are bold, there’s a lot of unique artwork and there’s a sarcasm and like a sassy wit to them that people really appreciate. I love that and I think that’s so on point.
I like being creative and it’s always been an outlet for me. Being able to put my designs on products that can be sold, and seeing people’s reaction – it has always been fulfilling for me.
