empowered coffee [closed]

Empowered Coffee is the caf’d-up brainchild of Dr. Kimberly Davis. She created the coffee shop as a way to provide folks with developmental disabilities with career skills in running a restaurant. Located inside a run and crossfit outfit, Empowered Coffee is bare bones both in design (nicely rustic unfinished particle board and pallets) and coffee (drip only; no espresso machine). But for what they lack in what-you-might-expect standard expresso-shop accoutrements, they more than make up for with spirit and service.

We ordered a couple coffees, and I upped mine with a brainy butter bomb (my first buttered coffee!). The coffee is solid and served with a smile. The butter bomb was a production involving choosing a bomb, dropping said bomb into the coffee, and deploying an immersive blender. My barista, Haley, explained each step as she expertly prepared and delivered my order. We were there too late to enjoy a breakfast taco (sold out!) but enjoyed a couple tasty zucchini breads instead.

At the end of each workday, Empowered Coffee posts its profit and loss on a board for all to see ($15.14 profit on our visit). Because we were there at closing, we also benefitted from a couple free pastries on the way out. The bride and I know one of the employees, William, quite well and were overjoyed that he was working when we stopped in.

Hours are limited (they mostly cater to the early morning crowd), so check before you go.  Empowered Coffee empowers its employees, but it feels empowering (and good) to drink one of their brews as well.

Articles about Empowered Coffee.

web&where: interwebs; inside 410 SpeedShop and RunLab at 410 pressler street
overall: ** (food*; drink**; atmosphere*; service****; instagrammability**)
cost: $
does it scramble? coffee?!?! hell no

our scale:
–          meh [think twice]
*         OK [it’ll get the job done]
**       good [solid neighborhood joint]
***     damn good [we’ll definitely be back]
****   yippity-yikes that was amazeballs [fantastic; one of the best]
***** holy sh!t [transcendental; best of the best]