Outer Dark’s Roaster-Owned Cafe Opens With Goodies Like Locally-Made Pop-Tarts

Outer Dark Coffee Roasters has opened its first roaster-owned cafe in downtown Tacoma, located at 750 Market St., next to Cider and Cedar and beneath TractionSpace coworking offices. The café features a La Marzocco espresso machine and trained baristas who produce classic espresso drinks, as well as seasonal specialties like an iced cup with lavender, lemon, and Seattle’s Timber City ginger beer. Owner Mike Murphy brings years of experience in the beer industry to his new coffee enterprise, having co-founded Holy Mountain Brewing Co. and moving to Tacoma a few years ago.

Outer Dark’s style leans toward everyday sippers like the flagship Form and Void, as well as a dark roast called The Feels. Lighter, fruitier single origins are also available for retail purchase. Due to Murphy’s brewing connections, customers can find bags at breweries, local independent markets, and the bi-weekly Haunted Farmers Market.

The café also offers wholesale business, including flaky Pop-Tarts and cookies from Spilled Butter Desserts, as well as breakfast sandwiches from local maker Memoranda Kitchen. If you don’t drink coffee, the shop serves ceremonial-grade matcha and Apolis Craft Tea, a Puyallup-based producer connected to Trove Provisions, which doubles as a spice shop.

Outer Dark’s flagship Form & Void is served in a cortado, served at the café with a sparkling water. The space has high ceilings, painted almost entirely black, but it doesn’t feel dark despite the name. The white, wavy lines in the logo, painted by Murphy himself, and big windows let in tons of natural light.

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