A Barista’s Inside Scoop: 5 Uniquely Fort Collins Coffee Experiences You DON’T Want to Miss
Over the last year, my daily life has transformed into a coffee-stained mirage. Whether I am slinging drinks at my Starbucks job, steeping beans at home for my morning cup of joe or studying at a local coffee shop by campus, I am constantly surrounded by coffee.
As a barista, I know that coffee shops represent much more to us than a convenient place for a caffeine fix. I have witnessed coffee’s power to build community and culture by invoking enriching customer experiences first-hand.
With many Colorado State University students living in Fort Collins, Colorado only for the short time that they pursue college degrees, their time to soak up the city’s cultural brew is fleeting.
But never fear Fort Collins students and residents! I used my barista knowledge to get the insider’s scoop on the city’s most unique coffee communities you don’t want to miss. Here are the top five Fort Collins coffee experiences to hit up on your next local coffee run.
1. Start your morning off right with a cup of Fort Collins at Mugs Coffee Lounge
Mugs Downtown Coffee Lounge is the only place that you can enjoy a cup of espresso, kombucha and beer all from the comfort of one lounge chair.
Husband and wife McCabe and Marli Callahan, the shop’s owners, deliver innovative culinary creations to the community. Their recipes infuse Fort Collins’ passion for craft beer with coffee classics.
Here you can taste Fort Collins with a decadent mug of Old Town Mocha, a refreshing glass of on-tap kombucha or a boozy wakeup call from a glass of “Beer”mosa.
Mugs Coffee Lounge is the perfect place to hunker down for a long day of studying, make small talk with welcoming baristas or chat with friends before a dreaded 8 a.m. class.
No matter how you spend your time at the lounge be sure to experience all the Fort Collins steeped flavors this coffee shop has to offer.
2. After a productive morning at Mugs, experience a bit of Fort Collins history at the Starry Night Espresso Café
Step into a Vincent Van Gogh painting at the Starry Night Espresso Café in Old Town, Fort Collins. This quaint coffee shop has been serving residents traditional coffee roasts since 1992.
History is laced into every brick of this family-owned business. The current owners and sibling duo, Chelsi and Justin Wells, are CSU alumni who bought the cafe back in 2016. They wanted to keep local coffee traditions alive by maintaining the historic cafe and providing job opportunities to Fort Collins residents with disabilities.
Having a tasty slice of a house-made cake from the Starry Night Espresso Café is a FoCo tradition that you don’t want to pass by.
3. While you are in Old Town, join a community of bicycling artists at The Bean Cycle
The Bean Cycle Roasters is a lively coffee community located in the center of Old Town, Fort Collins. This coffee shop beautifully combines three Fort Collins traditions: bicycling, supporting local businesses and slurping espresso.
The Bean Cycle community brings together many unique experiences to customers all in one spot. Here customers can:
- Shop at Makerfolk, a brick-and-mortar shop that sells local creations.
- Take a gallery walk through Half Crown Creative, an affordable studio space rented out to local artists.
- Order a bike-themed latte from the Bean Cycle Coffee Lounge.
And then there is my favorite part of this shop — mounted on the main wall of the coffee lounge is a page right out of Fort Collins’ history book. The wall is covered with bicycles, jerseys and mementos from some of the biggest cycling events in the city.
Here you can experience bicycling’s impact on the Fort Collins community while you sip your daily brew.
4. On your way home, pick up a bag of farm-to-table espresso from Bindle Coffee House
Bindle Coffee is a celebration of Fort Collins’ agricultural roots. Owner and Fort Collins native, Andrew Webb, wanted to open a coffee shop that embraced Fort Collins’ humble farm beginnings.
He bought a rundown farmhouse off Jessup Drive and transformed it into his vision of a western coffee house. At the Bindle Coffee House Webb crafts sustainable farm-to-table experiences for customers with the help of his wife, Jenn Webb.
Staying true to his Starbucks roots, where he got his start in the coffee business, Andrew Webb thrives on customer connection. Stepping into the Bindle Coffee House feels like coming home to a cozy family farmhouse where you always belong.
Do your tastebuds a favor and experience a cup of Andrew Webb’s freshly roasted Side-Kick Espresso alongside a zesty slice of Jenn Webb’s home-baked lime zucchini bread.
5. Before you face your caffeine crash of the night, take a gallery walk through the Alley Cat Coffee House
Take one step into the Alley Cat Coffee House and you will be transported into a cat-themed art galley hand-painted and curated by Fort Collins’ creatives.
The ceilings, walls and bathroom doors of this community gem are adorned with intricate artworks from local artists.
The tables and walls of the cafe are covered with hand-written conversations between strangers. Even the shop’s bathroom mirrors speak to customers, encouraging them to embrace their inner beauty through community graffiti.
When I am not on the CSU campus studying, you’ll find me feverously working on projects at the Alley Cat Coffee House. The shop is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day making it the perfect atmosphere to get my creative juices flowing after hours.
A late-night work session under the painted panels of the Alley Cat Coffee House is a must-have experience.
The final scoop…
To busy Fort Collins students even the simplest of tasks, like brewing a morning cup of coffee can feel draining. Luckily, with a corporate or local coffee shop around almost every corner, it’s easy for students to find a cup of coffee to start their day.
While choosing an ever-present corporate cup of joe over hunting up a local mug of culture may seem like a more convenient option, this decision leads to missed adventures.
If you are looking to spice up your daily coffee run, escape the daily grind of student life or live out Fort Collins to its fullest then you won’t want to miss these five distinctly Fort Collins coffee experiences.
