Alchemy Coffee
390 E 1700 S Salt Lake City, UT Get Directions
Contact: 801-322-0735
WWW.ALCHEMYCOFFEE.COM IG @alchemy.coffee
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Date Visited: October 31, 2019
What do you do on Halloween?
I drive around looking for spooky coffee shops. Well, guess what, I found one, Alchemy Coffee, in Salt Lake City, Utah. This coffee shop had been suggested by a few of my followers via Instagram. They told me that it would not only be a great place to interview but also to hang out and relax due to its cozy vibe and the "comfiest couches." I was pretty pumped to check it out and the weather was amazing considering I could see snow in the mountains. I'm from the East Coast so this was an absolutely beautiful change of scenery. I pulled up to the large gray building and headed inside.
First Impression
I didn't know what to expect, the second I walked inside there were more fake skeletons and haunted-looking things than anywhere else in Utah. I'm exaggerating a little bit but right off the bat there were skulls on the service station, paintings of skeletons, and various fake bones scattered around the shop. The place did have a large number of couches as was described to me and there was a good amount of people here catching up, reading, and working on their laptops. A beautifully colored disco ball hung from the center of the room. Okay, I was digging this.
I got in line and was about to order a coffee since I was still waking up and didn't know if I could interview them yet. Suddenly, the barista, Haley, says "sweet shirt" so I knew this was the perfect segway. I told her and the other barista, Shalyn, about my adventure so far and about some of the places I've been. Shalyn was rocking some awesome purple hair and they were both in the Halloween spirit. With smiles on their faces, I could tell that they had good-hearts as they asked everyone who stopped in how they were doing and if they had any Halloween plans. Next thing I know, Haley tells me to sit down at the counter and wants to know if I've had coffee yet today. I laugh and replied, "Nope, not yet." She says, "Great! I hope you like red eyes!" For those of you that don't know, a Red Eye is a coffee with a shot of espresso! My day was about to start right up!
Alchemy Coffee was 14 years old when I visited, but had its birthday on Feb 21st, 2020. Congratulations on 15 years! Jason is the owner of this cool establishment and he focuses on supporting the community and creating great connections. I asked where Jason may have come up with the name Alchemy Coffee. Haley and Shalyn said, "The owner believes that in order to prepare the 'Golden Beverage', there is magic in the process. Baristas are the coffee witches/alchemists that serve the community of coffee. They have to use their power and magic to create and craft what people desire." Well said, just like that the interior of this place made perfect sense.
I had to ask, does the coffee shop always look spooky like this, or is this for Halloween? The baristas laughed and said, "Besides a few added pumpkins today, it's always this cool and ghostly." Which led me to my next question, I'm sure you can guess, "Is this place haunted?" Haley looked at Shalyn and they both cracked up in a nervous laugh and said, "All we can really say is that we've felt watched from the back wall in the backroom." The ghost has to be friendly, there was nothing but happiness and good vibes in here.
Alchemy Coffee loves people and the community, and DOGS! They host an open mic night every Tuesday from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Alchemy has done after hour art shows as well and private events upon request. They made this a great place to hang out. There are tons of tables and chairs both inside and outside. There is even free WIFI to get some work done. And you're in luck if you decide to stay and work; a drip mug to stay is only $0.93! After traveling the country, you can't beat that!
As far as working here goes, it seemed pretty freaking great. Haley and Shalyn wouldn't stop telling me how happy they were to be working here. They are given a lot of creative freedom to wear what they want and be their own person. When it comes to music, you might catch the baristas rocking a little bit of everything. Anywhere from ambient groovy dance to outlaw country and even Celtic!
Food
The food sounded like great cafe food. A few of the things that stuck out to me on the menu were the avocado toast, curry chicken sandwich, peanut butter swirl, and their breakfast sandwich. Many of the food items could be prepared vegan or gluten-free. A lot of the food was sourced locally. They were happy to tell me that they served vegan bread, organic pastries, bagels, and toast as well. Don't even get me started! The pastries and the quiches looked delicious. I will attach some photos below.
Coffee
My coffee was freaking delicious and hyped me up the whole time I was there. I highly recommend trying the dark Tanzanian Drip in a mug with an extra shot of espresso, also known as a Red Eye. My notes are on the border of undecipherable – just kidding, but close. They use the Salt Lake Roasting Company which is a well-known local roaster using only organic beans. The most popular drink when I was there was the White Witch: spicy chai with rose, white chocolate, and cinnamon. Use the phrase, "Get it spooky," to add espresso to it. Come on, go big.
The Art
While I was visiting there was some phenomenal art on the walls. Some were very abstract and colorful, while other pieces were wonderfully painted pictures of trees and some vegetables. One of the artists highlighted at the time was Camille Biexei: @nameoffire. I especially loved the onion, titled "The Queen [The Onion, Supreme Among Vegetables]. So true! Here is her website, be sure to check her out and give her a follow. https://www.camillebiexei.com/
Bathrooms
The bathroom was pretty cool. I enjoyed the picture of Elvis Presley and Bob Marley hanging on the walls. It was clean, stocked, and a little groovy with musical artists. I am going to rank this restroom a polished 9/10.