Melvin Powell stands on the curb of a drive-thru Starbucks in Lake City.
"Hello, how are you? Have a great day!" he booms with a smile and a wave.
Since he started selling Real Change about three months ago, Melvin has been a fixture at this spot. The location has its perks.
"I've never drank more coffee in my life than I have here," said the recent transplant from Nashville, Tenn. "Y'all know how to make your coffee here."
Melvin came to Seattle looking for a change.
"I got tired of living in the South," he said. "I had helped someone move here about eight years ago and it always stayed in my mind."
He may be new to the Pacific Northwest but Melvin's no stranger to street newspapers. In Nashville, he was one of the top sellers of The Contributor, Nashville's equivalent to Real Change. He sold The Contributor for about 18 months, and is helping Real Change replicate that paper's curbside sales, in an attempt to help Real Change expand selling locations for vendors.
Melvin's passion is cooking. He honed his skills working as a chef and cook in restaurants and hotels in Memphis and Nashville, and dreams of starting a catering business.
He can cook anything that you put in front of him, especially if it's on the grill, he said. He's even tried his hand at cooking raccoon.
Melvin is saving money for a trip home to see his children in May, and when he gets there, he'd like to also hit the city's barbecue festival. Known as Smoke on the Water, the event is "the Super Bowl of swine" Melvin said, adding that one day he'd like to enter the competition himself.
Melvin thinks Seattle is a pretty place with friendly people, particularly his customers, whose business helps him stay afloat and provide for his miniature beagle, Gwyneth.
"People talk about Southern hospitality, but since I moved out here, I have felt welcomed by almost everyone."