3 ms·

Huh, I’ve never heard of espresso shacks. They’re only on the West coast? Do you have a photo of one?

uxp100 7y ago
I think it's really the northwest. Oregon has em, but driving from the bay area to LA I never saw one in rural parts of central california. They might exist though.
- panopticon 7y ago
  There are a couple in and around Modesto, but yeah they really start to become rare south of that (ignoring those weird bikini coffee shacks).
mikepurvis 7y ago
Google does: https://www.google.com/search?q=espresso+shacks&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=espresso+shacks&tbm=isch Looks like there's a lot of crossover with the "bikini barista" concept, which I could picture being off-putting to some. I guess that's another plus for a national chain— your morning coffee isn't going to turn out to be something embarrassing to have to explain to the kids in the back seat.
- jandrewrogers 7y ago
  The Pacific Northwest espresso shacks have no relationship to "bikini barista" places. Or at least, I've never seen a bikini in one anywhere. These are rural places staffed by locals for the locals, often teenagers.
  - hawaiianbrah 7y ago
    The bikini ones are all over the PNW though. (As are regular ones)
jandrewrogers 7y ago
They originated in the rural Pacific Northwest, because coffee culture isn't just in the city there, but they've spread across the northern half of the Mountain West. This is a very regional bit of Americana, most Americans aren't familiar with it unless they've driven through the backwaters of that part of the country. Sometimes they are truly out in the middle of nowhere on county roads in the wilderness and such, no other buildings for miles, the novelty of which delights people the first time they see it. Small rural towns usually have multiple espresso shacks. The coffee is legitimately very good in my experience. It is common in that part of the US to drink coffee with neither milk nor sugar. Here is nice blog about them with a ton of pictures: https://roadslesstraveled.us/coffee-kiosks-of-the-west/ https://roadslesstraveled.us/coffee-kiosks-of-the-west/
- vlaak 7y ago
  This is so interesting. I live in Beaverton, OR, and grew up and often visit Eastern Washington. These coffee shacks are everywhere. I had no idea they were a regional thing. I always assumed they were a national thing since I see them everywhere I visit for the most part. Wild.

I think it's really the northwest. Oregon has em, but driving from the bay area to LA I never saw one in rural parts of central california. They might exist though.

panopticon 7y ago
There are a couple in and around Modesto, but yeah they really start to become rare south of that (ignoring those weird bikini coffee shacks).

mikepurvis 7y ago

Google does: https://www.google.com/search?q=espresso+shacks&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=espresso+shacks&tbm=isch Looks like there's a lot of crossover with the "bikini barista" concept, which I could picture being off-putting to some. I guess that's another plus for a national chain— your morning coffee isn't going to turn out to be something embarrassing to have to explain to the kids in the back seat.

jandrewrogers 7y ago
The Pacific Northwest espresso shacks have no relationship to "bikini barista" places. Or at least, I've never seen a bikini in one anywhere. These are rural places staffed by locals for the locals, often teenagers.
- hawaiianbrah 7y ago
  The bikini ones are all over the PNW though. (As are regular ones)

jandrewrogers 7y ago

They originated in the rural Pacific Northwest, because coffee culture isn't just in the city there, but they've spread across the northern half of the Mountain West. This is a very regional bit of Americana, most Americans aren't familiar with it unless they've driven through the backwaters of that part of the country. Sometimes they are truly out in the middle of nowhere on county roads in the wilderness and such, no other buildings for miles, the novelty of which delights people the first time they see it. Small rural towns usually have multiple espresso shacks. The coffee is legitimately very good in my experience. It is common in that part of the US to drink coffee with neither milk nor sugar. Here is nice blog about them with a ton of pictures: https://roadslesstraveled.us/coffee-kiosks-of-the-west/ https://roadslesstraveled.us/coffee-kiosks-of-the-west/

vlaak 7y ago
This is so interesting. I live in Beaverton, OR, and grew up and often visit Eastern Washington. These coffee shacks are everywhere. I had no idea they were a regional thing. I always assumed they were a national thing since I see them everywhere I visit for the most part. Wild.