Cool new coffee roaster opens downtown cafe. Goodies include locally made Pop-Tarts
Downtown Tacoma welcomed its first roaster-owned cafe last month. Outer Dark Coffee Roasters has opened at 750 Market St., next to Cider and Cedar and beneath TractionSpace coworking offices.
A La Marzocco espresso machine and trained baristas produce classic espresso drinks — latte, cortado, americano — as well as seasonal specialties like an iced cup with lavender, lemon and Seattle’s Timber City ginger beer.
The beans obviously come from the house roaster. Owner Mike Murphy brings years of experience in the beer industry to his new coffee enterprise. He co-founded Holy Mountain Brewing Co., but in a quest for something different, he and his wife Tara moved to Tacoma a few years ago. What began as a basement experiment on a small setup blossomed into renting space at Roasterworks, a shared facility in Auburn that has jump-started many local roasteries.
In addition to pursuing ethical, sustainable sources, 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 also are available for retail purchase. Thanks to Murphy’s brewing connections, you’ll also notice bags at breweries, including E9 on Fawcett, as well as local independent markets like Tacoma Boys.
He also sets up at the bi-weekly Haunted Farmers Market, which launched this spring on South Tacoma Way. Wholesale business is likewise growing.
A petite but plentiful pastry case features flaky Pop-Tarts and cookies from the wonderful Spilled Butter Desserts. For something more substantial, try a breakfast sandwich 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.
Blessed with high ceilings, the space has been painted almost entirely black — but it doesn’t feel dark (despite the name). The white, wavy lines that comprise the logo, painted by Murphy himself who also dabbles in abstract art, implore you to let go the worries of the day. Big windows let in tons of natural light. Plugs abound, and little LED table lamps sit ready for when the PNW summer sunshine inevitably turns to constant gray.
On a recent Tuesday morning, two baristas quickly served a cortado and sparkling water — the best combination — and there was plenty of room to get some work done, or just gaze out the window, to the people on the sidewalk or the clear blue sky.
Hot tip: Visit on “Fresh Bean Friday” every week for 15% off retail bags of beans!
OUTER DARK COFFEE
▪ 750 Market St., Tacoma, outerdarkcoffee.com
▪ Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
▪ Details: new downtown cafe from local roaster, plus local pastries and breakfast sandwiches