Arizona Coffee

Via @SpecialtyCoffee.

Ever since the Phoenix New Times posted photos of Giant Coffee (which hasn’t officially opened yet) I’ve been wanting to get over there to see what it looked like. Today was that day.

Matt and Erenia Pool of Matt’s Big Breakfast are opening the shop. It is on 1st Street south of McDowell. The exact address is 1437 N 1st St.

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For months friends have been encouraging me to visit Conspire and today the weather was nice so I stopped in for a visit. Since Conspire has very limited indoor seating it isn’t a good choice for a large group, unless the weather is nice.

If the weather is nice, you have your choice of about 3 park benches in the yard. That’s where I sat (along with some friends).

The inside of the shop is small and cozy, with bar seating. It’s a single room with a variety of grocery / art products. Along the front wall is a counter with an espresso machine. The barista on hand today made my drink and asked me if I wanted my drink “for here.”

My cappuccino was $2.75 and they did a great job with it, as you can see in my photo. I’ll definitely be back for more.

The exterior of the building is painted with a mural. There are images of sharks, contraptions, and other shapes on the side of the building.

While seated on the park benches you’ll be able to strike up a conversation with the people walking past.

Conspire
901 N. 5th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: (602) 237-5446
Twitter: @conspirephoenix

Twitter just came out with a new feature called Twitter Lists (how clever) and it prompted me to update my original list from February.

http://twitter.com/arizonacoffee/coffee-shops
http://twitter.com/arizonacoffee/coffee-roasters
http://twitter.com/arizonacoffee/people-in-the-coffee-biz

Even if you don’t use Twitter, you could use one of those pages to keep tabs on what people are talking about.

Coffee Shops on Twitter:

@libertymarket
@PressCoffee
@cartelcoffeelab
@SweetRepublic
@mamajavas
@coffeeplant
@luxcoffee
@solocafe
@CherubiniCoffee
@cafevango
@mesacafe
@royalcoffeebar
@nextcoffee
@fairtradecafeaz
@lolacoffee
@firecreekcoffee
@cavecreekcoffee
@MauiWowi
@HobNobsCoffee
@UrbanBeans
@javaedge
@CactusCoffee
@RhinoCaffe
@villagecoffee
@AvenueCoffee
@SafehouseCoffee
@possegrounds
@solacoffeebar

Cool people in and around coffee on Twitter:

@austinmiles
@arizonacoffee
@Jasoncalhoon
@pressjavagirl
@realjoe
@unique_coffee
@ronaldcortez
@TheCoffeeScout
@unique_coffee
@amautacoffee
@brian_clemens
@JeffRohwer
@CoffeeNomad
@espressojunky
@sethmills
@christingom

Copper Star Coffee invited me and my coworkers to check out the sandwiches at Copper Star Coffee. I’m not sure how long they’ve been serving sandwiches but they even deliver to nearby businesses.

We actually stopped in today and tried four sandwiches:

• Roast Beef
• Chevron Sub
• Shaved Turkey Sub
• Italian Sub

The sandwiches were actually quite good! I’d recommend them as a lunch destination if you live or work in the area. Often times coffee shops don’t pay attention to the food and only a few even offer lunch options.

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What is up with coffee shops that don’t offer mugs? I understand that not every coffee shop has a dishwasher, but how hard can it be to wash a few mugs (okay, maybe a lot of mugs)?

I’ve visited two shops this week that didn’t have mugs. Huh? Not even a few sitting around for customers that ask? If coffee shops are looking for a way to reduce expenses how about using real mugs? It seems like it would be the “green” thing to do.

Also, it is surprising how many shops just assume you want a paper cup. Maybe I’m in the minority here… am I?

Covering a coffee shop that serves coffee I dislike is often difficult. A recent “critique” I posted struck a nerve and created a litany of comments both favorable and negative. At the core of the debate was the question about whether Arizona Coffee should post negative reviews and to what extent a negative review hurts that business.

I generally approach it one of two ways:

1. Say nothing and just post the photos. Those who care about coffee will see the photos and translate for themselves. Sometimes readers will post their own comments saying what I didn’t.
2. Include my own comments about what is wrong with the coffee and hopefully include how it could be better.

I’ve done a bit of each over the years. It is safe to say this is the first time an unfavorable “critique” has turned into a full on debate. It is definitely not the first debate, however. Most likely it is because people really care about the coffee shop in question (that’s a good thing).

Tara from Ground Control made an interesting point. Not all baristas have the same training, skills, or desire and really great baristas aren’t easy to find and hire.

There are a lot of shops around town that are content with their product. Perhaps I miss-judged Fair Trade Cafe and judged them at a level they don’t care to play at?

Should a coffee shop be expected to produce a quality product all of the time? And to who’s standard?

Is it okay for a baker to occasionally sell bread that didn’t rise?

The Barista Jam last Saturday was very enjoyable. A bunch of people were there from all over the state. Kudos to everybody who pitched in in some way to make it a great time.

My photos from that day are collected in a Flickr set.

I had to leave early because of another commitment, but after I left a latte art contest was held and judged by Luis Till & David Richards (click here to see a photo of the judges).

Arizona: Who has the best WiFi, and who has the worst?

Slayer has some sweet videos up on YouTube including this one about how a Seattle coffee shop handles high volumes.

Fair Trade Cafe is selling a coffee cart, cash registers, and an espresso machine. (more…)

What makes a coffee shop or restaurant “pet friendly?”

I recently asked for suggestions of good coffee shops that are pet-friendly and several people made recommendations. If you know of a good shop please leave a comment.

Copper Star is the best! Shaded, fountain, misters and a bowl of water for the pup! – superstrcarwash

In the Raw, Gilbert AZ even has a Dog menu! – SterlingExp

I’ve brought my dog to @Presscoffee and they took great care of her. – Stang5_0

Extreme Bean in Tempe has a good patio/outside, usually 2 or 3 dogs visible every night here – MrAnathema

When the weather is nice lots of folks hang with their pooches in @luxcoffee‘s patio area – _MikeTodd_

Mountainside Coffee Shop in Fountain Hills is one of my favorites, great patio where pups are welcome! – SterlingExp

Note: Some comments were edited for punctuation.

I recently joined some friends for breakfast and networking at Trailhead Bike Shop and Cafe. I had never visited before but relished the opportunity to try a new place. It’s located at 16th St. and Glendale in Phoenix.

The espresso was surprisingly good for a place like this, although not great.

My cappuccino was average. The milk was frothed in a very bubbly way, which isn’t how I like mine. I prefer a rich creamy froth.

The bike shop has a bunch of tables and couches for people to drink coffee.

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Can you tell I’m working on my headlines?

The new Fair Trade Cafe at Civic Space Park has been open for about a month now and I’ve had the opportunity to visit and try to coffee and see the shop.

The only thing going for Fair Trade Cafe is that it is close to the downtown ASU campus — really close. Literally across the street. Oh, and it is inside the Civic Space Park. Other than those two things the new Fair Trade Cafe is as boring as a parking garage. The walls are painted mostly white or left unpainted like the concrete floor. There are very few decorations or pictures to add color to the space which is unfortunate. Maybe they’ll add those later?

Fair Trade Cafe is situated at the base of a historic building and has a really large patio.

This is my cappuccino which was incredibly hot and tasteless.

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Photo credit: Posse Grounds Coffeehouse

On Saturday I had the opportunity to meet John Berreman the owner of Posse Grounds Coffeehouse in Sedona. They actually haven’t opened yet but will be located in Oak Creek. I spoke with John while he was attending the Barista Jam and it sounds like a great new shop and I have a sense the quality will be top notch.

They’re planning to open on November 20th. Previously I had covered them in July.

Posse Grounds Coffeehouse
Tequa Festival Marketplace
7000 Hwy 179
Sedona, AZ 86351