[Charles Wallace]

Are there any non-chain, non-corporate coffee shops in the central area?

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Charles Wallace

Are there any non-chain, non-corporate coffee shops in the central area?

I was going to say The Coffee Pub but I remembered that they use Starbucks coffee. They've always had good coffee even before that. It's a locally owned franchise, but The Original Pancake House has excellant coffee. They don't make specialty drinks though, just regular coffee. Mom & Pop coffee houses just can't compete with Starbucks, The Coffeebean, and Seattle's Best. In fact I don't know if Seattle's best was able to compete because I never see them anymore. Jitters was good but I think they all closed. There might be one somewhere. The best place to hang out for coffee and chocolates is Ethel's Cafe (I think that's the name) in the Fashion Show Mall. It's the new version of Ethel M's Candy shops.

[Chest Rockwell]

You can add Espresso Roma, Enigma, and Copioh to the list of deceased coffee/culture houses.

Try out Brewed Awakenings, in the Food4Less center at Sahara/Eastern. They've managed to stay in business nearly a decade, which is phenomenal, considering that Starbucks has moved in on them by opening at Sahara/Maryland, Desert Inn/Eastern and Desert Inn/Boulder Hwy in the time since they've been in business. What a cutthroat business!

As far as chains go, I like to drive through at the Java Detour at MLK/Charleston. They're very friendly and in a super convenient location for me.

[olecapt]

One problem is that Starbucks gets a lease restriction wherever they open that no one else can grind beans. I doubt it works in the big malls but it does in all the little ones.

The cracked egg works hard at good coffee. Owner in fact is a coffee nut(bean?). But the target is good American Java...not the exotic.

[jfkIII]

...and no mermaids spread eagle!

[Buzz123]

I forgot about Brewed Awakenings. I've only been there once, but it was ok coffee. It is what you think of when you think coffee house. I think old hippies go there to die.

I don't agree with Cracked Egg coffee being all that good. Tastes ordinary to me, like Denny's or something. But both Cracked Egg locations are right next to Starbucks and it's in their lease that they aren't allowed to compete for specialty drinks. I've often wondered why they don't just knock a hole in the wall and let Starbucks handle the coffee concession since most of their customers bring their Starbucks in with them for breakfast. I would guess that Starbucks is the reason they chose the two locations they have.

It's a chain, but Mimi's has good coffee too, and great breakfasts.

[olecapt]

There are now three Cracked Eggs. The one at Ann and 95 opened on Sunday. Very good breakfast/lunch like the other two. This one is also next to a Starbucks. I like that because I can get an NY Times at the Starbucks to read over breakfast.

They use a high quality coffee that they have ground offsite and delivered.

But no they don't like Starbucks. At one point they were considering a fancy coffee shop but could not find a workable location that did not have a Starbucks or something else already in. Obviously the demographics criteria they use is similar to Starbucks.

For fancy coffee some of the principals generally go to the Coffee Bean...I think merely to avoid being in a Starbucks.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by olecapt

There are now three Cracked Eggs. The one at Ann and 95 opened on Sunday. Very good breakfast/lunch like the other two. This one is also next to a Starbucks. I like that because I can get an NY Times at the Starbucks to read over breakfast.

They use a high quality coffee that they have ground offsite and delivered.

But no they don't like Starbucks. At one point they were considering a fancy coffee shop but could not find a workable location that did not have a Starbucks or something else already in. Obviously the demographics criteria they use is similar to Starbucks.

For fancy coffee some of the principals generally go to the Coffee Bean...I think merely to avoid being in a Starbucks.

Cheyenne and Buffalo, Ann and US 95...where is the third one? I've heard there was one but even the employees at the Cheyenne location couldn't tell me.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Cheyenne and Buffalo, Ann and US 95...where is the third one? I've heard there was one but even the employees at the Cheyenne location couldn't tell me.

Rainbow just south of the south 215. That is the biggest shop.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Rainbow just south of the south 215. That is the biggest shop.

Wow, that's way out there in the south 40.

I think the OP is looking for coffee houses but I don't know of any that have survived. There was one in the Arts District but I think it's gone now. There is/was a little place on Charleston on the corner of 3rd Street. I think it was called the Iowa Cafe or something like that. It is/was mostly a breakfast and lunch joint but they had events in the evening too; music, poetry, etc.

As far as good regular coffee in a regular breakfast restaurant, The Original Pancake House has the best I think.