Quietly Opened HQ
We quietly opened our doors to the public yesterday. It’s almost strange to even say that we were “open” as we’ve never been a brick & mortar. Looking back on every pop-up we did in the cart or van, the same level of stress was there, but the strangest part after being a mobile business for 7.5 years was that we didn’t have to pack up and haul our equipment home as we’ve done for years. There’s something about staying in one place that feels like a third space for new friends to grab a warm drink & have good conversation. While our hours and menu are limited, our deep love for this community is endless.
We were loud about our Soft Launch as it involved celebrating 4 other businesses doing great things, but we were nervous to be too loud about opening Compact HQ. As you may know by now, we’re not traditional. If you know Seth, he’s always able to see the unique angle in building anything and making it our own. We couldn’t do ourselves a disservice by doing exactly what was expected of us - “Open a Full-Time Coffee Shop” - instead, Seth built this beautiful speakeasy vintage-grunge space to educate & connect with each and every one of you around a “slow bar.” Our slow bar mainly offers hand pours and coffee flights. We hesitated to scream from the rooftops as Seth runs the coffee side of the business as a one man show and we simply have no desire for “lines out the door” for this space. While Seth does all things coffee, I tend to stay behind the scenes so I thought writing a little blog here & there might connect with you on a different level.
Compact HQ - Salida, CO ; Photo by Chelsea Tuttle Photography
While we are quietly learning and rearranging from opening a brick & mortar for the first time, Seth is running from coffee shop to coffee shop around central Colorado working on coffee equipment while I’m talking with refill roasters, scheduling cuppings, revamping our entire refill program, and apparently writing blogs & email campaigns.
There is something coming up that I can’t be quiet about:
Madcap Coffee is coming from Grand Rapids, MI to Compact HQ as our very FIRST roaster to host a cupping in our space this Saturday, November 22nd at 10am. This is a result of the stars aligning and the kindness of AnneShirley at Madcap for carving out time to come share Madcap’s story and coffee with us all. The event is free to attend, but $20 gets you a spot to participate in the cupping experience and try 5 Madcap coffees. Grab your spot here.
I hope you come seek us out in our little corner of the world. We are tucked away in an alley behind 129 W 3rd St, Salida, CO 81201. Look for the purple trim door. Currently open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays from 8am to 12pm, closed on holidays. Keep an eye on our social media for unforeseen closures & planned trips.
With love,
Claire