The year 2023 saw new heights for specialty coffee in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions.
There were rustic wood tones and snow-peaked mountain views, of course, but also icy cool interior vibes, sophisticated beige settings, and sweetly moody black interiors.
Idaho, Utah and Nebraska all gained exciting new inroads for high-quality coffee drinks and service, while the growing Mile High City continued to lead the regional charge in coffee shop openings.
Continuing our 2023 Year in Review, here’s a look some of the most exciting new shops in the Rockies and Plains regions this year.
Guests coming in from early Spring cold are savoring warm cups around a central, transparent fireplace in a space adorned with custom tiles of bright white and icy blue. Drinks are crafted from beans roasted on site in a snow-white Diedrich IR-12 roaster by Glissade Coffee Founder Sean Harwin… read more
The marble, stark white surfaces and quartz counters of the original location have been reinterpreted in the new shop through travertine limestone, lime wash paint and natural stone counters. The owners described the combination of new interior elements at LoHi as an expression of “beigecore.”… read more
Based in Driggs, Idaho, the Teton Valley shop spreads modern lodge-like rustic comfort out over approximately 2,000 square feet with a mixture of cafe seating and upholstered lounge chairs…. read more
Originally operating under the name Kardia Coffee in a high-foot-traffic spot between the RiNo district and Coors Field, the business has rebranded under the new name. Aesthetically, it offers an eclectic foil to minimalist, bright white shops… read more
Inside the 1,200-square-foot Lincoln Park space formerly occupied by coffee and wine bar The Molecule Effect, the new shop is also the first major public development for the business since it was acquired by Sarah Zapien. An independent green coffee importer, Zapien purchased Method from founder Alex Rawal in 2021… read more
“[Boise] is a place that we just really loved to visit and spend time in,” Pine Coffee Supply Co-Owner Cody Hamilton recently told DCN. “Over the past few years I had been visiting a wholesale account of ours there and got to know some of the baristas there. We knew we wanted to open a location in a larger market and Boise just felt right.”… read more
Simplicity and modernity were two of the primary concepts in the coffee shop design. The cafe is cashless, and customers are asked to order in one of three ways: a self-service kiosk on-site; a mobile order through the QR code; or mobile order-ahead for pickup. The shop relies on POS and payment tech platforms by Toast… read more
Tim Biffert, who owns the company alongside his wife, Jennifer Biffert, told DCN that they weren’t necessarily seeking a second shop, but the opportunity in the growing Ballpark neighborhood, with patio views of the currently snow-capped Wasatch mountains, was too good to ignore… read more
