COFFEE AND ALL ITS GLORY
Coffee is so good. Denver has for decades served a very dark cup of coffee. It started that way for us, too.
We have seen the light, so to speak, and this is how we turned the corner.

Long, Long Ago
Several locations and years ago, Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop was across the street from Metropolis Coffee in the Golden Triangle. The owner of Salvagetti, Scott, was introduced to yummy coffee by Nick (now at Pablos Coffee on 6th). The first drink? A double short mocha breve (an 8 oz. 2 shot half and half latté with chocolate syrup) . Soon, the chocolate was gone out of Scott’s drinks, then he moved on to a regular short latté.

Dustin worked for many different coffee shops and started working for Salvagetti while they were located on Speer Blvd. Coffee was always enjoyed from Metropolis and Novo.

Salvagetti and Happy on Platte
On Platte Street, the opportunity to put in a small, fun espresso bar was obvious. No one on that side of town was focusing on how good a simple espresso can be. We started by researching equipment, reading books, tasting coffees and talking to everyone who would listen. We concluded that we could make this happen pretty easily and without too many hiccups.

Happy Coffee was born by opening our Bike Thru Coffee Window at Salvagetti on Platte at 7 am on a rainy, nasty day. We only had a few customers that day, but all of them were excited.

Our Coffee Selection: The Big Change
We started out using Pablos and Coda Coffees. We loved the chocolate and caramel notes that both coffees offered. We then started carrying Caffé Vita. We loved that there was a hint of Orange on the front, while still offering a clean and sweet finish.

Then, we sent Dustin out to Portland to explore the world of coffee coming from the Northwest. This was the kick in the pants that Happy Coffee needed to become what it is today. Dustin was treated to a host of new and exciting coffees that Denver had not seen before. Many roasters trying to get the most interesting flavors out of the beans, instead of trying for a consistent flavor across the many varietals.

Dustin came back with a fire in his belly to make sure we were on board with his new found love. He sat Scott down and served him his first light roasted espresso. It was from Heart and it was called Stereo.
“It tastes like Cherries”, said Dustin. And it did. Not just a subtle possibility that you could search through your brain to find, but it tasted EXACTLY like cherries. And chocolate! And brown sugar! Everyone in the store tried it. It was very different than the very dark and simple flavors of what we were accustomed to. It was complex, but still yummy. Everyone involved agreed that this was our future:

To Elevate Denver’s Coffee Expectations
As you join us, please have an open mind. We didn’t at first.
It tasted bright and acidic, until we paid attention to the intention of the roaster.
It was more expensive, but it is also of the highest quality you can buy.
We had to pay more attention, and it was more rewarding on many levels.