It’s soooo tough to pick just 5! I love Tom Hess’ Denver coffeehouse observations …

5 Independent Coffeehouses in Denver That Get Us Talking
EnCompass, The AAA Colorado Magazine, April 2012

By Tom Hess

Where do you get your caffeine fix? Do you sometimes venture beyond your usual source—the Keurig in the kitchen, the McDonald’s drive-through, or the Starbucks at Safeway?

We’ve noticed independent coffeehouses all along the Front Range gaining notoriety and enticing new customers by offering craft local roasts, alternate brewing methods, milk alternatives (almond, rice and soy), creative menus, local artwork and brainiac, blogging baristas.

So we asked ourselves, what attributes of an independent coffeehouse motivate members of the EnCompass team to venture out?

Downtown businesses of Henderson, KY sponsor local youth sports (not Amazon)

Downtown stores outdo Amazon.com in local support

  By Chuck Stinnett, Courier Press, Posted April 21, 2012 at 3:45 p.m., updated April 21, 2012 at 3:45 p.m.

Some of my downtown business friends were stung by a comment here last week concerning the ever-quickening changes in retailing.

My commentary was inspired by a reader urging, in part, for someone to bring more stores downtown.

To be sure, someone has been trying. For more than 25 years, the Downtown Henderson Project — with support from the city, county, local banks and DHP members and volunteers — has worked earnestly to encourage property owners to keep buildings in good and historically restored condition (such as by offering low-interest loans for facade renovation and city tax abatements for building upgrades) as well as to recruit new businesses and promote activities to draw people downtown.

But as I noted, the momentum in retailing over the past 50 years has shifted from downtowns to suburban shopping centers to malls to big-box stores and now to online retailers such as Amazon.com.

Why are we changing our FaceBook Page?

Why are we changing to The Local Coffeehouse? To unite local coffeehouse owners and lovers through our upcoming website! http://ow.ly/akxWP

The Main Cup Coffeehouse, Burlington Colorado

The Main Cup coffeehouse in Burlington, Colorado was discovered on a dreary Sunday morning as I was in search of a hot breakfast and a rich cuppa joe.

There wasn’t a whole lot going on at 9:00AM … not even at the churches.  I pouted for a couple of moments after I walked up to the front doors to find them locked.  But soon realized that I don’t think I would be open either on that particular day of the week.

Emily’s Coffee in Denver Colorado helps Bhutan refugees transition

“For refugees, new Denver coffee shop brimming with optimism”

October 30, 2011

By Penny Parker (thanks for shaing this story, Penny!)
Denver Post Columnist

Keshav Nepal, right, and Solomon Wolday hone their barista skills at Emily’s Coffee. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

Barista-in-training Chuda Khanal locks his eyes on the nonfat decaf latte he’s constructing while trainer Alisa Melville hovers.

“I’m trying to get them to do latte art,” Melville said about the three students behind the counter at Emily’s Coffee, a new espresso shop at 1261 Glenarm Place created by the Language Learning Center of Emily Griffith Technical College. The three students, Bhutan refugees who were relocated to the United States from camps in Nepal, took a one-month course to learn job skills and U.S. workforce orientation.