ABOUT US

Our  first half-decade was spent in small quarters on Main St Templeton. It's still a coffee shop, one that serves our coffee beans and we've now moved to Atascadero, a couple miles south. Until going to see the new building, I'd never been on Entrada Ave. The  street brought back memories of the little one-way streets that run off PCH down by the pier in Huntington Beach. Back when I was a kid, the afternoons when the surf was blown out and a bunch of kids hanging out at the local surf shop until the owner, tired  of us, would run us off.

I  remember it as a place people loved to hang out, a sharing of a common bond and the occasional visit from local legends and a glimpse of someone famous. Not a surf shop but certainly a comfortable den, a gathering spot featuring eclectic folks from all walks.  Long time locals, those newly arrived and visitors from all over the planet. The Central Coast of California is no longer a well-kept secret so we hope our saloon offers that place you'd love to find in a small corner somewhere. 

All  comers will find the bar upfront and a couple of coffee roasters in the back.  Sometimes the shop is quiet, but when in full operation, there's the buzz around the roasters and a gathering spot for more people to talk to the roasters while they practice their  craft. Again, reminiscent of hanging around the guys shaping and glassing new surf boards, soaking in their every word. There's no denying coffee is cool, and learning to speak it well is a necessary addition to the quasi-sommelier. Here's where you gain shortcuts  to coffee speak and the opportunity to dazzle at social events.

We  love the intellectual diversity of our clients and appreciate what they contribute to the shop. All our bartenders have the second skill of being musicians, artists or just particularly well informed with valid opinions. You'll never see latte art featuring  a leaf or a tree. Our latte art is all Rorschach based, offering instead a very introspective latte that hopefully Jackson Pollock would spend a great deal of time pondering. 

We  host many activities ranging from live music nights. We’re also the unofficial site for the Cal Poly Debate team, taking on all comers from the audience (alcohol and arguing, who'd of thought?).