7 new coffee shops and cafes around Pierce County for winter warmers, cake pops
We all need a pick-me-up sometimes, and these new cafes in and around Tacoma have got you covered.
In one case, a neighborhood with little in the way of cozy coffee shops welcomed a dessert cafe that, yes, serves plenty of coffee. Downtown gained two more spots for caffeine (and at one, also a good cause), and the waterfront gem that is Chambers Bay has a new pitstop for food and drink.
If you’re on-the-go in East Pierce County, a trio of locally owned and operated drive-thru shops have expanded.
Here’s a look at some new coffee shops and cafes in the South Sound.
Locus Cafe
- 4822 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-319-8097, locuscafe.net
The Altameemi family has brought a breezy new dessert cafe and coffee shop to Tacoma’s South End. In addition to standard espresso drinks, featuring Middle Fork Roasters beans, sip on signatures like the Little Mountain (white chocolate breve with caramel) or the Noir (mocha with hazelnut and chocolate). Energy drinks offer an array of fruity options, too. Sweets to eat include waffles, crepes and pancakes made to order and finished with Biscoff cookies and custom Bueno sauce, cheesecake bites, strawberries and more. They hope it also becomes an alternative nighttime hangout for everyone, including kids. Open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Civic Roasters
- 508 S. 11th St., Tacoma, 253-254-5499, civicroasters.com
Civic Roasters beans have been available since 2018, when owner Benita Ki started roasting, but she recently opened her first brick-and-mortar cafe (and will soon also roast on-site). The company has a social-justice mission, striving to employ people from marginalized groups who might otherwise have difficulty entering or staying in the workforce. The cafe itself offers easy grab-and-go as well as a few tables and lounge chairs to relax a while. Retail bags are also available, as are subscriptions. Open Tuesday-Saturday 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Cafe Perk
- 1301 A St., Tacoma, thevillageperk.com
Cafe Perk has operated the Museum of Glass cafe for about a year now, and the owner recently added a second, Friends-themed location (replete with orange couch) inside the office building near the on-ramp to Interstate 5 in downtown Tacoma. In addition to standard and seasonal espresso drinks, the cafe serves pastries, breakfast sandwiches, paninis with meat and veg options, and grab-and-go salads. Open weekdays 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The Landing at Chambers Bay
- Chambers Bay Golf Course and Creek Regional Park, University Place, chambersbaygolf.com
Several years in the making, the iconic Chambers Bay Golf Course welcomed its new cafe this fall. The gussied-up snack shack is primarily intended to enhance amenities for golfers, but it’s also a nice pit stop for those of us who more typically enjoy the park’s waterfront trails. You order at the counter. Grab a coffee, wine, beer or a cocktail and find a seat at a table inside or out, when the wind and rain cooperate. A concise menu of prepped foods include sandwiches and wraps, flatbreads, a couple of sausages and clam chowder. Hours vary by season — for winter, it’s open every day but Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Better Days Coffee
- 21002 Route 410, Bonney Lake, instagram.com/betterdays.coffeeclub
The owners of a drive-thru coffee shop in Parkland (12161 Pacific Ave. S., formerly Bowler Coffee) have expanded to Bonney Lake, replacing a Cafe Elite. Beyond the usual espresso drinks, try the seasonal specials — for winter, a peppermint mocha cold brew or the North Pole Nog with butterscotch, eggnog and butterscotch sprinkles — as well as muddy sodas, energy drinks and smoothies. Food options include “stuffed” bagels, cake pops and cookies. Order online for quick pickup. Open weekdays at 5 a.m. and weekends at 6 a.m.
Good Vibes Espresso
- 11011 Canyon Road E., Puyallup, instagram.com/good.vibes.espresso
This local chain of drive-thru coffee shops has eight locations around the South Sound, from Kent to Tacoma. The one on Canyon Road is the newest addition, serving all the classics plus lots of seasonal specials. Winter options range from the “Breakfast Spaghetti” with mocha cake batter and chocolate macadamia nut cold-foam to the Polar Express Lotus energy drink with coconut, almond, blue raspberry and toasted-marshmallow cold-foam. Open daily 4:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Espresso Stop
- 35737 West Valley Highway, Algona, 253-320-1905, estop.coffee
Rochelle and Daniel Carpenter bought the original Espresso Stop in Edgewood in 2014 and have grown the business from there. They had closed two locations, in Tukwila and Algona, but are reopening them, adding to their existing drive-thrus in Pierce and King counties. Algona got going again Dec. 3, and Tukwila will soon follow. Specialty coffee drinks include the Banana Split, Funky Monkey and White Bunny, but you can also snag “retro” energy drinks and elixirs in various flavors, as well as milkshakes. Snag a muffin, breakfast melt, egg bites and bagels, too.