What Denver's Surge In Specialty Coffee Shops Can Teach Us – CoffeeTalk

Denver’s coffee scene has seen a surge in specialty coffee shops that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Three recent additions to this trend include Coffee Sarap, Panda Coffee House, and Cafecito. Coffee Sarap, which began as a coffee pop-up in 2022, opened its brick-and-mortar location in January. The shop, which is located at 3460 Larimer Street, offers Filipino flavors, Japanese matcha, and Indian flavors, as well as Latin American pastries and drinks.

Coffee Sarap’s menu features traditional Filipino flavors like ube and pandan, as well as baked goods like solvanas, buttercream sandwiched between cashew butter wafers, and pandesol, a staple breakfast item in the Philippines. The shop also partners with CakeHeads Bakery to provide traditional options like solvanas, buttercream sandwiched between cashew butter wafers, and crusted with cashews.

Panda Coffee House, recently opened inside FlyteCo Tower in Central Park, focuses on matcha. Owner Vinay Patidar became interested in the matcha trend and sampled over fifty different types before settling on a ceremonial-grade version from Japan. All syrups are made in-house, with a one-to-one sugar-to-water ratio, ensuring that the drinks are well-balanced. In addition to coffee and matcha, Panda has its own house-made spicy chai from Patidar’s mother’s recipe, served with Ritz crackers.

Cafecito, a recently opened shop in Montbello, offers whole-bean coffee from Chiapas, Mexico, in bags to take home. The shop bills itself as a home away from home for Latin Americans, celebrating coffee and culture from Latin and South America. The shop offers drinks like cafechata (caramelized sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oat milk with coffee), cafe con leche, and cafe con ola, as well as bites like pasteles, tamales, and burritos.

Denver’s coffee scene has seen a surge in specialty coffee shops that celebrate diverse flavors and cultures. Coffee Sarap, Panda Coffee House, and Cafecito are all part of this trend, offering unique experiences for locals and visitors alike. By embracing diversity and inclusion, Denver’s coffee scene continues to grow and attract a diverse range of customers.

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