BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured image by Freepik
In our “Highlighting Queer-Owned Cafés Across the U.S.” article series, we’re spotlighting one LGBTQ+-owned coffee shop in each of the 50 states. Check out parts one, two, and three to catch up, and read on to learn more about some of our favorite queer-owned coffeehouses!
Nebraska: Amateur Coffee
Omaha’s Amateur Coffee is making waves for a number of reasons. Apart from offering exceptional coffee that they roast themselves, the shop is also 100% vegan, serving up tempting items like vegan chicken and waffles. The café was even recently nominated by VegNews for Best Vegan Coffee Shop. Another noteworthy feature? The coffee parlor also has a reusable glass jar program, through which they offer drink discounts to customers who bring back takeaway jars purchased from the shop.
Nevada: The Jolt Coffee Co.
Filling the spot once occupied by beloved Bronze Café, the Jolt Coffee Co. began operating out of the LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada in 2019. The shop is known for serving up creative offerings like coco-mint, ube, or banana macchiatos.
New Hampshire: Teatotaller
Bubble tea, vegan donuts, and ’90s-themed drag shows: Teatotaller is so much more than a coffeehouse. It’s a colorful community hub dedicated to amplifying and supporting the queer community everywhere. For example, the shop recently teamed up with the N.H. Queer Farmer Network to raise money to support the state’s queer farmers.
New Jersey: CoZie Cafe
Coffee flights, croffles (croissant waffles), and Hello Kitty macaron pop-ups—what’s not to love about Fair Lawn, N.J.’s CoZie Cafe? With its warm, homey interior, the coffeehouse’s cozy vibe is suited to the shop’s name.
New Mexico: The Bean
Stop by one of The Bean’s three locations for noteworthy menu items like golden milk or drinks infused with house-made lavender or pumpkin spice syrup. The café also had a standout Halloween menu featuring creative drinks like Witch’s Brew, a butterfly pea flower lemonade. The shop saw a lot of support following an unfortunate homophobic comment from a customer, reflecting the solidarity of the queer coffee community in New Mexico.
New York: Aura Coffee
At Crown Heights’ Aura Coffee, you can enjoy your daily cup alongside some Sunday jazz or at an open mic night—a true testament to the vibrant culture that Brooklyn is well-known for around the world. The café serves up beans roasted by Boulder, Colo.’s The Coffee Ride, a roastery that offers bicycle-delivered coffee to its locals.
Stay tuned for more installments of this series, where we’ll continue to travel alphabetically through the United States!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Joy Meneses (she/they) is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. Her hobbies include foraging, cortados, vintage synths, and connecting with her Filipino roots through music, art, food, and beverage.
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