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Posted by on Jun 14, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 1 comment

Jake’s Brew Bar, Littleton CO

Isn’t it great to be local?

Jake’s Brew Bar … is a “brew” bar serving brewed coffee and brewed beer!  Clever, eh?  They have been open about 12 months, and today have tons of business walking through the doors in the revitalized Main Street of Downtown Littleton, Colorado.

Barista Matt was gracious from the moment I walked in the door, offering a friendly smile with a kind demeanor.  He made me feel at home for the afternoon I spent in the front window writing and blogging.

They have chosen two different local roasters as their coffee vendors: Novo Coffee and Corvus Coffee; both are well respected roasters in Colorado.

Some coffeehouses are heavy on one type of customer or the other; you may see mostly students or a lot of artists.  This place seemed to draw a nice blend of the community with folks chatting with each other comparing qualities of local craft beer and a few folks sitting at their computers sending last minute emails on a Friday afternoon.

Jake’s was named after the owner’s father, Jacob Barth.  He is from Albuquerque, NM and served in the Army during of WWII.  Owners, Janie and her daughter, Vanessa, also own a wine bar around the corner off of Main St. called Katie’s ~ named after her mother.

It is a family affair!  Step in during the Western Welcome Week coming up this summer.

Luvin’ local, Lisa

Jake’s Brew Bar
2540 W. Main Street
Littleton, CO 80120
(303) 996-1006
www.jakesbrewbar.com
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Posted by on Jun 12, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 1 comment

Our ultimate vision: to keep the small, local independents alive and THRIVING!

Paris on the Platte, Denver, CO

Paris on the Platte’s Sidewalk Sandwich Sign in LoDo, Denver

I had a long conversation yesterday with a coffeehouse owner about the business of owning a coffeehouse … you know, the challenges associated with keeping it going on a daily basis.  “The margin in coffee is just so low”, he said.

His coffeehouse has been in Denver for over 20 years and also has experience in fine dining.  He has chosen to diversify his offerings to include alcohol and live music in the evenings.  The location of the coffeehouse used to be a popular destination, but now sits on a very busy neighborhood street and feels it is lost in the shuffle.

He indicated these as his biggest challenges:

  1. Keeping overhead low; especially getting reasonable pricing on dry goods and condiments from suppliers
  2. Attracting and keeping knowledgeable, involved baristas
  3. Staying abreast of the growing, changing coffee culture both locally and globally in the midst of a 7-day work week
  4. Finding that niche again: offering unique products, services that keep customers returning

This is where I’d love to help by creating a community of coffeehouse owners  to support each other, where they can build camaraderie and brainstorm ideas.  Where I could assist them in building a co-op to purchase products and services that help their bottomline while maintaining a thriving local economy.  Let’s just do it!

Contact me at lisa@thelocalcoffeehouse.com if you’d like to find out more about my vision.

Luvin’ Local, Lisa

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Posted by on May 27, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 0 comments

The Unseen Bean, Boulder, CO

Owned by a blind man

The Unseen Bean coffee shop in Boulder, CO has been around for about 6 years.  It’s a quaint cafe just north of the popular Pearl Street Mall near the University of Colorado campus.

I got to Boulder early this morning to take my son to work for the Bolder Boulder 10k run.  I had to wait a couple of hours for it to open.  I was there years ago and met Jerry, so I wanted to take some photos and post about him while in Boulder today.  Here is what I saw on the door:

Indie coffeehouses understand when you get stuck in the Bolder Boulder 10k traffic.

Indie coffeehouses understand when you get stuck in the Bolder Boulder 10k traffic.

I just had to laugh!

Jerry opened his roasting company in 2004 then the coffeehouse 4 years later.  And is in the process of relocating his roastery to a larger facility in Lafayette, CO.  Rumor has it that he will have a second shop on site.

The Unseen Bean
5100 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-2326
www.theunseenbeen.com

 

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Posted by on May 20, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 0 comments

Allie’s Philosophy Espresso, Lincoln City, OR

I’m not on the road right now, just home in Denver enjoying the hourly weather changes hoping it’s nice & sunny when I go to the Colorado Rockies v. Arizona Diamondbacks day game on Wednesday.

Alice's Philosophy Espresso, Lincoln City, OR

Alice’s Philosophy Espresso, Lincoln City, OR

However, I have friends that are travelling and will occasionally send me a photo of a coffeehouse they meet.  Each one is special and expresses a bit of the owner’s personality.  This one is from Doug.  He goes to the Oregon Coast once a year to breath in some of the best air on the planet (lucky man).

I visited their Facebook page and discovered the owner is 24 year-old  Allie.  She opened the doors in 2011 and loves philosophy so much that she “created an espresso business to implement a main marketing concept of developing exciting and interactive philosophical thought and conversation.”

Thanks for being uniquely you, Allie!!  My next journey on Highway 101 will include a stophere.

Allie’s Philosophy Espresso
5998 SE Highway 101
Lincoln City, OR 97367
(541) 994-0002
Allie’sPhilosphy Espresso Facebook Page
 

Peace, Lisa

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Posted by on Apr 26, 2013 in Blog, Local Coffeehouse Visit | 1 comment

Ground Control Coffeehouse, Goodyear AZ

Afterburner Roast by Ground Control

Afterburner Roast by Ground Control

1964 was a great year!!  One of my favorite events during this very historical time in our country was my birth at Luke Air Force Base near the White Tank Mountains of Arizona.  LOL.

Last week I coerced my Mom into taking me to Base so I could reconnect with my past; to see what had changed and what had stayed the same after so many years.  Our timing was perfect!  Lucky for us we were able to see some of the new F-35 jets fly in formation, peel off one at a time then land one the flight line.  As a kid, I remember parking next to the road at the end of the line watching the F-15s and F-16s land one right after another.  I could sit there for hours … the precision, the sound, the strength, and oddly magical … it has always given me a thrill!

Still on a natural high, we took Litchfield Road south past the lower entrance and guess what we found?  One of the biggest independent coffeehouses I’ve seen yet: Ground Control, owned by one of the training pilots at Luke, Sean Rassas and his wife Tara.  They have successfully brought together their love of coffee, community, food, world class beer and wine.  This is “where community happens”!

Luke AFB

Luke AFB

They also roast their own coffee daily right there in the entry space that is both their roastery and the front counter.  This multi-purpose room also serves as storage for their bags of green beans and the espresso machine where the baristas tamp out yummy shots of java.  They recently delivered a select roast to Oskar Blues, a small brewery in northern Colorado.  to brew up their very own coffee stout.

GET OUT OF HERE!!!  How cool is that?  ~Lisa

Ground Control
4860 N Litchfield Rd.
Goodyear, AZ 85395
(623) 535-9066
www.groundxcontrol.com

 

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