Check out these new Memphis coffee shops
Buzz! Buzz! Three new coffee shops opened in the Memphis area during June. ● If you need a morning jolt on your way to work or a spot to meet friends, these coffee shops are all true originals, offering unique vibes and coffee experiences. ● So whether you’re out east in Cordova, in Midtown or Downtown, here are three new coffee shops you need to check out.
Team Car Cafe
8100 Macon Station Drive, Suite 101; lattingspeedshop.com
A bike shop may seem an odd place to find an artisan coffee shop, but for Will Tucker the combination of the two concepts made perfect sense. When he was designing his new boutique bike shop, Latting Speed Shop, Tucker wanted to create a gathering space and sense of community he had experienced on his travels.
“When I was a pilot, I was always hunting down cool bike and coffee shops,” he said. “Often I found them together so I wanted to do that here.”
Team Car Cafe got its name from the tradition of cycling teams. “Every team has a car for the mechanics and spare bikes,” said Tucker as he pointed to the 1970s-inspired team car above the coffee bar that he custom built.
Tucker’s friend Jacob Dries collaborated with him on the coffee shop. Dries’ restaurant El Mero Taco is next door. A door now connects the two spaces.
“We are flattered to run his coffee shop,” Dries said of the collaboration. “We are keeping Will’s idea of a European coffee bar, but with a splash of El Mero creativity.”
Signatures lattes, like the El Mero Mocha, the Honey Gold and the Cajeta Caramel, all use flavor syrups made in house at El Mero. The food offerings include baked goods, as well as breakfast tacos. You can also order anything from El Mero’s menu to enjoy while sitting in the bike shop’s café area or at the counter seating area where you can watch your bike be worked on.
Tucker also partnered with Memphisbased Ethnos Coffee Roasters. Kenny Baker, who has collaborated with businesses such as Cxffeeblack for its Guji Mane coffee brand, said his goal is to create good coffee that brings people together. “We have a great vision here at Ethnos,” Baker said. “We value people, quality and collaboration. I want small local businesses to succeed because I know behind that business is a family or individual who is passionate about their work and their family.”
Open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-saturday.
Ancient Grounds Coffee Shop
Memphis Zoo, 2000 Prentiss Place; memphiszoo.org
On June 30, Memphis Zoo added a new dining option — a coffee shop.
Ancient Grounds is the zoo’s nod to its Egyptian ties and love for coffee. The coffee shop features signature drinks as well as classic coffee and tea options, along with a menu of light dining options that include freshly baked goods, bagels, BLTS, salads and granola yogurt parfaits.
“We had a space and saw a need,” said Erika Clark, Memphis Zoo Food and Beverage Director, of the reason to open a coffee shop.
Drinks like the Zoo Dude (a spicy dark chocolate mocha latte) and The Polar Bear (Iced White Chocolate) can be ordered hot or cold. There are even spiked coffee drinks available.
Clark said most signature drinks are named after animals at the zoo.
“The Leopard is our version of a hibiscus Moscow Mule,” she said. “Amur leopards are native to Russia, and we have one of these leopards here at the zoo. They are on the near extinction list so we are happy to have them.”
Fresh smoothies made with real fruit
are also on the menu. Clark said she suspects the Elvis’ Teddy Bear (a Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate smoothie) and the Pink Flamingo (a White Chocolate and Strawberry smoothie) to be popular items.
While the zoo will continue to offer items like burgers and fried chicken tenders, Clark said they are expanding offerings to include fresh and healthier options like salads and smoothies.
“This is a new direction for us,” she said.
The elevated dining experience is not only evident on the menu, but also in the space. Local designer GCD Interiors has created a tropical-vibed space that transports you to a Moroccan treehouse.
Clark added that the zoo is moving toward being more eco-friendly and sustainable in everything it does, including dining options.
This was one of the reasons the zoo has partnered with St. Louis-based Kaldi’s Coffee, a roaster known for sustainably sourcing beans from around the world.
Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Crazy Gander Coffee Company
150 Madison Ave.; (901) 552-3852; crazygander.com
Having a coffee shop has been a dream of Dana Bunke and Kevin Crow’s since the couple bought the historic building at 150 Madison Ave. in 2018. The duo lovingly transformed the former bank building into a space that houses a ground-floor coffee shop called Crazy Gander Coffee Company.
Preserving the historic nature of the building was important to the couple. The original tile and wood floors, plus the exposed brick were kept. A mural of a 1911 map of Memphis creates a stunning focal point on the building’s west wall. Modern touches like vibrant yellow arm chairs, a garage door window wall and fresh flowers complement the historic features, creating an inviting space that welcomes guests to sit a spell.
“We are both coffee drinkers,” Bunke said. “We travel a lot and when we do, we always like to find a consistent spot to start and plan our day.”
The vision for Crazy Gander Coffee Company was to be that type of spot for Memphis.
“Whether you are traveling or work or live Downtown, we want to be a place to get great coffee drinks and to be a spot during your journey,” Crow said.
Specialty drinks such as the Butteriffic Frappe (a frozen coffee drink made using Butteriffic Bakery and Café’s shortbread cookies) and The Bucktown (a latte made with honey, coconut milk, milk and a dash of cayenne) are a sampling of the unique offerings.
Partnering with Memphis businesses is also a focus for Crazy Gander. “We want to become invested in the community,” said Crow, adding they have partnered with local companies such as Dave’s Bagels, Butteriffic Bakery and Café and Beneva Mayweather cinnamon rolls for their menu.
Crow said that are experimenting with roasters before they commit to just one. “We are using only roasters who source and roast fair trade, micro-lot and sustainable-sourced beans.”
For now the food menu is limited to mostly baked goods, but Crow said he plans to add more hearty options in the coming months.
Open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-sunday.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.