Nomad Coffee

Name: Nomad Coffee
Location: Barcelona
Design: Unknown

There is something great about the simplicity and unfussy nature of Nomad Coffee. Located in Barcelona, Nomad started out as a small cart and has since transitioned to a brick and mortar space, their name speaking to their roots. 

The unimposing and warm facade welcomes you into a communal space with a utilitarian aesthetic that emphasizes the craft and connection.

Image 1, 2 © Fuet Magazine

Image 3 © The Soup Spoon

Shortstop

Name: Shortstop
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Design: Foolscap 

A good doughnut is always a good find. A good doughnut in a great space; can you ask for more?

Foolscap crafted a space for Shortstop Coffee & Doughnuts that is bright, light, and playfully speaks to the key offering.

We love the subtle pattern created from the tile installation and the beautifully displayed doughnuts within their glass case. Subtle, well-thought out details like these help elevate the simple interior.

Read on for more photos-

Alfred Coffee

Name: Alfred Coffee
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Multiple)
Design: Joshua Zad

One look around the Alfred Coffee in the Alley location and you'll realize this is not your typical coffee shop. Bolder than what we are used to, it creates a great buzz of energy that is refreshing from a design stand point. 

Earl Canteen

Name: Earl Canteen
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Design: Unknown

With it's second location now open in Collin's Place, Earl Canteen is proving to be a new direction for grab and go eateries. Their newest location uses their existing color and material palate but introduces  their graphic pattern on a larger scale. 

Local Favorite: Bow Truss

Name: Bow Truss
Location: Chicago, IL


With NeoCon just around the corner, I wanted to give all those headed into town a look at one of my favorite coffee shops near the Mart.

Bow Truss is a local, small batch roaster with two locations in Chicago. While both serve amazing coffee, their newest location in River North is the stand out in terms of design. 

A smaller space than their original, the River North location still maintains the rustic, reclaimed, and hip nature the original East Lakeview location is known for but does it a more thoughtful and concentrated manor. 

Images © Zagat, Doejo

Brother baba Budan

Name: Brother Baba Budan
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography: Erika Hildegard

Located along the tiny alley of Little Bourke Street, Brother Baba Budan is a small cafe with a big personality.  

Lucky's Doughnuts

Name: Lucky's Doughnuts & Forty Ninth Parallel Coffee
Location: Vancouver, BC

Located in Vancouver, Forty Ninth Parallel coffee brought together two great concepts under the same, well designed roof.

Using the great bones of their raw & urban space, industrial furnishings and a large wood bar act as a rich yet neutral backdrop to fresh made doughnuts and cappuccinos.

Local Favorite; Big Shoulders Coffee

Name: Big Shoulders Coffee
Location: Chicago, IL

Big Shoulders takes cues from it's Chicago location with both the name, and interior.

The interior is kept simple with nods to Chicago's industrial & manufacturing background throughout.

Workshop Coffee Co.

Name: Workshop Coffee Co
Location: Clerkenwell, London

Workshop Coffee Co juggles multiple hats and does it seemingly well. As a roaster, cafe, and restaurant multiple functions have to happen throughout the space all requiring their own needs in terms of design.

Sight Glass

Name: Sight Glass
Location: San Francisco

My love for coffee and well designed coffee shops can easily be traced back to San Francisco. With new shops and roasters opening up daily, the coffee scene there is exciting and second to none. The coffee scene in Chicago could use a little work. With everyone brewing Metropolis or Intelligentisia, it's been refreshing to see Stumptown, Bow & Truss, and La Colombe enter the mix but it still lacks the local, small batch roasting you see everywhere out West. Sight Glass is just one of the many well designed roasters opening up all around SF and the interior is just as beautiful as their art. With a double story space outfitted with exposed wood beams, metal stools, and curved coffee bar, the space is industrial, warm and exciting.

Photo 3 © Inside Scoop SF

Photos 1,2,4 © The Cabinet Shop

Photos 5-6 © Brewly Noted

Handsome Coffee Roasters

Name: Handsome Coffee Roasters
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Architecture: Kari Richardson 
Design: Woodsmithe


Handsome Coffee Roasters, located in the arts district of LA encompasses some of my favorite elements for any hospitality/restaurant design; simplicity, natural materials & color palate, quality product, great branding and concept, and attention to details.
The subway tiles on the coffee bar are replicated in aged oak along the back wall and features a laser etched branding detail. I also love the glass walls separating the roasting from the coffee bar, allowing customers a visual connection to the art and process. By focusing in on the concept, they were able to keep the design simple and pure, allowing the coffee to shine in it's environment.

Image 1-3 © Hypebeast

Image 5 © Cool Hunting

Image 4,6 © selectism.com

Jane

Name: Jane
Location: San Francisco
Designer: Ken Fulk, Inc.

With the unseasonably warm temperatures currently sneaking into Chicago, my mind has been craving a bit of inspiration that is bright, clean, and cheerful. Jane, located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of SF is just that and more. Bright, clean, inviting, and a hint of playful quirk easily make this place stand apart from the crowd.

Photos 1-6 © Jane

Local Favorite; Caffe Streets

Name: Caffe Streets
Location: Chicago
Architect: Norsman Architects

Located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago; Caffe Streets has managed to bring something a bit different to the coffee scene. A modern yet organic interior features high-top community tables, benches with permanent tables, an intricate multi-layer, topographic style ceiling, as well as full scale street lights. Their cappuccinos are great but the environment and interior are what truly make this a local favorite.

Virtual Caffeine: Blue Bottle

Name: Blue Bottle Coffee

Location: San Francisco; Mint Plaza

Designer:

While we have many coffee shops in SF that top the charts for their coffee (our favorite cup of joe comes from Philz on 4th & Berry). One of my favorite stops for coffee shop design is Blue Bottle located in the Mint Plaza. It is clean, modern with just a hint of industrial science lab. Take a look:

Image © curious coffee consumer

(This is how the drip coffee is created, it is a beautiful process)

Image © Scott Beale

Image © Mapplr

Image © Scott Beale

My other favorite Blue Bottle location; The San Francisco Ferry Building. I would grab a cup here every Saturday morning to stroll around the farmers market with.

Image © Jaunted