Morning brew crew — Salt Lake is percolating with coffeehouses
Barlow and Gerber, a legal secretary and receptionist for Eisenberg Gilchrist & Morton, are not alone. It's a morning ritual for millions of Americans, who can choose from the more than 24,000 coffeehouses across the country.
Whether grabbing a quick cup and a bite to eat on the way into the office or taking a morning break with colleagues, downtown Salt Lake City has plenty to offer when the time comes for a caffeinated pick-me-up.
In its unscientific survey of area coffeehouses, the Deseret Morning News found 13 locations between First Avenue and 600 South and 500 East and West Temple. The shops vary in size and style, and their prices and selection vary. Of the coffee shops visited by the Morning News, the price for a 20-ounce cup of drip coffee ranged from $1.75 to $2.50.
Of course, the choices expand greatly when factoring in the many fast-food locations, convenience stores, bakeries and full-service restaurants within the same approximate 2-square-mile radius.
On any given morning, cars line up around the small coffee shack on First Avenue and E Street. Co-owner Chad Corbin, who's been selling coffee in the Salt Lake Valley for more than a decade, knows his regulars not by name, but by vehicle.
"We've always had a core group of customers," Corbin said. "By the time they pull up to the window, most of the time we've got their drink ready for them."
Corbin and his brother, Ryan, moved from Idaho in the mid-1990s to start their business. At the time, there were just two other drive-through coffee shops in the area, and the two men believed they had found a largely untapped market.
They opened the window at their Murray shop in January 1996, doing $60 in business that first day. From there, Java Jo's has grown to three locations with two more in the works.
"They're thriving and they're booming and they're constantly busy," Corbin said.
It's no wonder that Salt Lake coffeehouses do strong business. Nationwide, it's a $29.3 billion market, and Americans are far and away the biggest consumer of coffee in the world, according to the National Coffee Association.
Daily coffee consumption is at its highest level in more than two decades and recently became the second-most popular beverage in the United States after water, according to the trade association.
Recent comments
I miss the Coffee Garden. The new location is as good or better than...
Ben | Feb. 1, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.
I moved from Salt Lake several years ago but still miss my Java Jo...
LB | Oct. 17, 2007 at 4:38 p.m.
Hello, I enjoyed this article very much. My second cousin, Paul...
Sue Ann Abbott | Oct. 12, 2007 at 2:48 p.m.
