Coffee Culture
“Let’s meet for coffee.”
There’s something ceremonial about gathering over your favorite drink. The simple phrase, “Let’s meet for coffee,” invites community building and beckons us to come together. Whether over coffee served iced or hot with a fresh baked good, or alongside herbal tea, hot chocolate, or a matcha, the act of gathering over a beverage is one of life’s simplest joys. In a survey of Americans’ top simple joys, a good cup of coffee and the smell of brewing coffee took numbers three and five, respectively.
Now, Teton Valley has a coffee shop or two in every town, perfect for gathering, grabbing a cup to go, or just starting your day with a favorite beverage. Each shop brings its own flare, from a garden space with live music, to beans roasted in-house, to a full bakery complementing the cups.
Here’s a look at the valley’s varied joints for a cup of joe.
Alpine Air Coffee, Victor – Alex Suckling, owner/operator
Customers’ favorite: Gibraltar, a perfect ratio of steamed milk to coffee; not as milky as a latte, but not as intense as a straight espresso shot. And don’t miss baked goods from Early Bird Bakes.
“Our roasting process is a bit unique; we’re using an air roaster versus a drum roaster, which impacts how the coffee roasts and tastes. When we originally set up our Sivetz roaster, we modified the controls to make it a manually operated machine versus a set-and-forget production roaster.”
“We’re trying to curate an inclusive atmosphere. Coffee shouldn’t be this gatekept experience. We think specialty coffee is for everyone and we’re working toward making a premium experience available to anyone who wants to try it.”
“Owning a business in Teton Valley is an awesome experience, not without challenge, but there are not many places in the world where you’ll find a community like the one we have here.”
Rise Coffee House – Kisa Koenig, owner
Kisa Koenig
Customers’ favorite: A tiny cortado, which is a 4 ounce latte, up to a 16 ounce sweet latte special are all favorites. Pair with a breakfast slider or a Rise burrito, which comes in breakfast, chicken, and vegan varieties.
“The customers, staff, and management all make the hard work worth it. To have a person react with joy when you give them a drink or plate of food is priceless.”
“Rise is a bustling community hub with a welcoming, inclusive environment. It’s a place you strike up a conversation with someone in line or at the table next to you. It’s bright, colorful, cozy, and smells like fresh baked goods and bacon!”
“Rise is unique in its consistency, not only of high-quality coffee and food, but for top-notch customer service. We learn guests’ names. We make people feel welcomed and at home. We are interwoven with our community.”
Tetonia Griders, Tetonia – Zack Bennett, general manager
Customers’ favorite: Shaken brown sugar espresso with a cinnamon bun cold foam topper.
“Tetonia Grinders has an upscale modern design and a positive- minded upbeat team of rockstar baristas. It’s locally owned and operated and was built by the owners.”
“I love working with the community members and growing connections with other entrepreneurs in the valley.”
“We have always loved coffee, and we feel that Tetonia is such a special place that could only be made better with fresh brewed coffee! We love the community engagement the most.”
Wydaho Roasters, Driggs – Jim & Mary Sheehan, owners
Customers’ favorite: Vanilla latte is a constant favorite. But in the summer, the iced dirty horchata takes the spot. From the bakery, the scratch-made croissants with almond are a fan favorite followed by the focaccia breakfast sandwiches.
“Our concept is simple; we wanted a bigger city type shop that had places to gather and become a focal point in the community. We create a welcoming environment that is consistently open with hours to serve the valley.”
“We lived by one of the first specialty roasters in St. Paul, Minnesota, and quickly figured out that fresh roasted beans took the coffee experience to a new level. That’s when Jim started experimenting with roasting his own. He quickly had a following of friends and family that allowed him to roast more and perfect his craft.”
“We closed on the old Forest Service building in December and will do a remodel to be open in the spring and move the customer facing pieces to Main Street. This will allow us to have a bigger kitchen/bakery and add artisan bread and an ice cream parlor with custom made gourmet ice cream. It’s going to be a busy winter of building!”