Last updated: October 20, 2025
EDITOR’S NOTE: This guide features coffee shops currently operating in Colorado Springs. Verified October 2025.
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Best for Remote Work | Date-Worthy Cafés | Quick Grab-and-Go | Hidden Gems | Roasters Worth Knowing | Neighborhood Guide
Why Colorado Springs Coffee Culture Matters
Denver might have more coffee shops per capita, but Colorado Springs has something better: cafés where baristas remember your order, where you can actually find a seat at 9 AM, and where “laptop-friendly” isn’t code for “we tolerate you barely.”
This is a military town with a thriving remote work community, outdoor enthusiasts who need early morning fuel, and locals who prefer neighborhood spots over chains. The result? A coffee scene that prioritizes function and quality over Instagram aesthetics.
What you’ll find here:
- Third-wave roasters that compete with Portland and Seattle
- Cafés with legitimate all-day laptop seating (not passive-aggressive 2-hour limits)
- Drive-thrus for when you’re rushing to Garden of the Gods at sunrise
- Hidden neighborhood spots tourists never discover
What you won’t find:
- Pretentious coffee snobbery
- $8 lattes (well, mostly)
- Impossible parking situations
- Starbucks recommendations (you can find those yourself)
Let’s dive into where locals actually go.
☕ Best Coffee Shops for Remote Work & All-Day Laptop Sessions
Pikes Perk Coffee (Multiple Locations)
📍 Locations: Mountain Shadows & Downtown
⏰ Hours: Varies by location
📶 WiFi: Excellent | 🔌 Outlets: Plentiful
🎯 Why go: Locally roasted coffee with work-friendly atmosphere
The Setup:
- Spacious seating with comfortable chairs
- Multiple locations across Colorado Springs
- Fast, reliable WiFi
- Zero pressure to leave after one drink
The Coffee:
- Air-roasted beans (their specialty for 25+ years)
- Standard espresso drinks: $4-6
- Pour-overs available
- Pastries and light food options
Best times for seating:
- 6:30-8 AM: Early birds get space and quiet
- 2-4 PM: Afternoon lull, peaceful
- After 5 PM: Many close or wind down, but perfect if open
Frequent Questions about Coffee Shops here
Where’s the best coffee in Colorado Springs?
Depends on what you value. Quality: Loyal Coffee or Switchback. Atmosphere: Story Coffee or Principal’s Office. Work environment: Pikes Perk or Loyal Coffee. Convenience: Dutch Bros.
Can I work from my laptop all day?
At most places: yes, with etiquette. Buy something every 2-3 hours, be aware during rush, don’t monopolize large tables alone. Pikes Perk and Loyal Coffee explicitly welcome all-day workers.
What’s open early (before 7 AM)?
Dutch Bros (most locations 5 AM), Loyal Coffee (6 AM), Pikes Perk (varies by location), Cirque Coffee (6 AM weekdays).
What’s open late?
Coffee shops close early here. Most by 5-6 PM. Exceptions: Loyal Coffee (until 7 PM), Shuga’s (until 11 PM but transitions to cocktail bar). This isn’t a late-night coffee city.
Best coffee shop for a first date?
Story Coffee downtown tiny house (most memorable and unique), Principal’s Office (quirky and intimate), or Story Coffee OCC location (relaxed outdoor option). Avoid: anywhere too loud or too quiet.
Where do locals actually go?
Loyal Coffee, Pikes Perk, Switchback, their local Dutch Bros. We avoid downtown tourist spots on weekends and hit neighborhood cafés instead.
Best coffee + breakfast combo?
Bird Tree Cafe (exceptional breakfast with quality coffee), Crave Coffee & Juice Bar (full menu), Loyal Coffee (toast and porridge options).
Dog-friendly patios?
Most cafés with patios allow dogs. Story Coffee (both locations), Crave, and Shuga’s are all dog-friendly outdoors.
Free WiFi everywhere?
Almost all coffee shops have WiFi. Password usually on receipt or posted. Speed varies—Pikes Perk and Loyal Coffee have the fastest and most reliable.
Parking situation?
Downtown: street meters or garages. Old Colorado City: easy street parking. Ivywild: free lot. North locations: always easy (strip malls with parking lots).
What happened to Wild Goose Meeting House?
Permanently closed September 2024. For co-working-style café atmosphere, try Loyal Coffee or Pikes Perk instead.
The Coffee Shop You Didn’t Know You Needed
Colorado Springs coffee culture isn’t about being the trendiest or most Instagram-worthy. It’s about functionality, quality, and community.
These are cafés where:
- You can actually work without guilt
- Baristas remember your name by week three
- The coffee is legitimately good without being pretentious
- Parking doesn’t require divine intervention
- You can have a conversation without shouting
- Local roasters supply quality beans at reasonable prices
Is it Portland? No. Is it exactly what Colorado Springs needs? Absolutely.
Local Knowledge for Pikes Perk:
- Mountain Shadows location (5965 N Academy) is largest with most seating
- They roast their own beans—available for purchase
- Free parking at all locations
- Voted Best Local Coffee House multiple years
Laptop Policy: ✅ Welcomed | No time limits | Just buy something every few hours
Loyal Coffee (Multiple Locations)
📍 Locations: Downtown (408 S Nevada Ave) & Northgate (11550 Ridgeline Dr)
⏰ Hours: Daily 6 AM – 7 PM
📶 WiFi: Excellent | 🔌 Outlets: Plentiful
🎯 Why go: Serious specialty coffee meets laptop-friendly environment
The Setup:
- Clean, modern minimalist design
- Mix of communal tables and solo seating
- Natural light (big windows at both locations)
- Not overly crowded on weekdays
- Meeting rooms available for rent
The Coffee:
- Barista-owned and operated
- Single-origin beans, rotating selection
- Expertly pulled espresso
- Pour-over options for coffee enthusiasts
- Standard espresso drinks: $4-6
- Full food menu (toast, porridges, salads)
Best For:
- Coffee quality + work environment combo
- All-day work sessions
- People who care about coffee sourcing
- Evening visits (open until 7 PM, serves cocktails)
Local Knowledge:
- Downtown location is the original, beautiful space with high ceilings
- Northgate location has more seating, easier parking
- They roast at “The Clubhouse” inside Ivywild School
- Each coffee has a number for easy identification
Laptop Policy: ✅ Welcomed | Be reasonable about space during rush
Shuga’s Lounge
📍 Location: 702 S Cascade Ave
⏰ Hours: Café 7 AM – 11 PM, Bar service after 5 PM
📶 WiFi: Good | 🔌 Outlets: Moderate
🎯 Why go: Retro-eclectic café by day, cocktail bar by night
The Setup:
- Mismatched vintage furniture
- Local art on walls
- Bohemian, relaxed atmosphere
- Generous seating for work sessions
- Transitions to bar after 5 PM
The Coffee:
- Quality espresso drinks
- Creative seasonal options
- Light food (cheese boards, hummus)
- Cocktails available evening
Best For:
- Daytime work sessions with evening transition option
- Relaxed, non-corporate atmosphere
- People who want flexibility (coffee to cocktails)
Local Knowledge:
- One of few places serving quality drinks from 7 AM to 11 PM
- Not pretentious despite the cocktail focus
- Street parking on Cascade usually available
Laptop Policy: ✅ Welcomed during day | Evening transitions to social atmosphere
Also Good for Remote Work:
Crave Coffee & Juice Bar – Old Colorado City, spacious, good food menu
2406 W Colorado Ave
💕 Coffee Shops Perfect for Dates & Conversation
Story Coffee Company (Two Locations)
📍 Locations: Old Colorado City (2752 W Colorado Ave) & Downtown (120 E Bijou St in Acacia Park)
⏰ Hours: Mon-Fri 6 AM – 5 PM, Sat-Sun 7 AM – 5 PM
🎯 Why go: Unique locations with character and house-roasted coffee
The Scene:
- OCC Location: Larger café with indoor/outdoor seating
- Downtown Location: Tiny house café in Acacia Park (unique and memorable)
- Books and board games available
- Community-focused atmosphere
- House-roasted beans
The Coffee:
- Single-origin, house-roasted beans
- Creative seasonal drinks
- Coffee flights available (try multiple origins)
- Standard menu: $4-6
- Excellent pastries from local bakeries
Best For:
- First dates (interesting locations = conversation starter)
- Catch-up sessions with old friends
- Supporting local roasters
- Outdoor seating on nice days
Date Strategy:
- Downtown tiny house location is most unique for memorable first dates
- OCC location better for longer hangouts
- Walk Acacia Park after coffee downtown
- Explore Old Colorado City galleries near OCC location
Local Knowledge:
- Tiny house location limited seating—arrive early weekends
- OCC location has patio with mountain views
- They also roast coffee for Ivywild School area
Principal’s Office (Ivywild School)
📍 Location: 1604 S Cascade Ave (inside Ivywild School)
⏰ Hours: Daily 7 AM – 3 PM
🎯 Why go: Literally inside the old principal’s office from 1916—charming and memorable
The Scene:
- Tiny café inside the actual 1916 principal’s office
- Original woodwork and vintage school details
- Intimate seating (maybe 15 people max)
- Part of the larger Ivywild School complex
The Coffee:
- Specialty coffee and espresso drinks
- Cocktails also available (they call it “coffee and libations”)
- Simple menu done well
- Seasonal and estate coffee varieties
Best For:
- Intimate conversations (small space creates closeness)
- Unique date idea (“Let’s get coffee in the principal’s office”)
- Exploring Ivywild complex (Bristol Brewing, Old School Bakery nearby)
Local Knowledge:
- Space is tiny—perfect for 2 people, crowded with more
- Combine with exploring the rest of Ivywild School
- Free parking in school lot
- Gets discovered by tourists but never overwhelming
🚗 Quick Grab-and-Go: Best Drive-Thru & Fast Options
Dutch Bros (Multiple Locations)
📍 Locations: All over Colorado Springs
⏰ Hours: Typically 5 AM – 10 PM
🎯 Why go: Fast, friendly, consistent drive-thru convenience
Real Talk:
Dutch Bros isn’t “specialty coffee,” but it’s the default for a reason:
- Drive-thru lines move fast
- Staff is absurdly friendly (almost aggressively so)
- Consistent quality across all locations
- Reasonable prices ($4-6 for most drinks)
- Open early for pre-hike departures
Best For:
- Morning commute coffee
- Pre-trail caffeine at 5:30 AM
- When you need caffeine, not an experience
- Groups with different tastes (huge menu)
Local Knowledge:
- Locals have “their” Dutch Bros location
- Mobile ordering skips the line
- Ask for modifications—they’ll make anything
Loyal Coffee Drive-Thru
📍 Location: Northgate location has drive-thru
⏰ Hours: Daily 6 AM – 7 PM
🎯 Why go: Specialty coffee quality without leaving your car
The Setup:
- Actual good coffee in drive-thru format
- Faster than Dutch Bros during off-peak
- Better quality than chains
- Baristas who know coffee
Best For:
- Quality coffee people who are in a hurry
- Compromise between convenience and taste
Cirque Coffee
📍 Location: 328 N Tejon St
⏰ Hours: Mon-Fri 6 AM – 4 PM, Sat-Sun 7 AM – 3 PM
🎯 Why go: Quick downtown option, mobile order-ahead
The Setup:
- Small storefront, minimal seating
- Designed for grab-and-go
- Mobile ordering through their app
- Walk in, grab from pickup shelf, leave
Best For:
- Downtown workers who don’t have time
- Pre-meeting caffeine runs
- Order ahead, skip the wait
💎 Hidden Gems Locals Don’t Want You to Know About
Bird Tree Cafe
📍 Location: 312 N Tejon St
⏰ Hours: Mon-Sat 7 AM – 3 PM, Sun 8 AM – 2 PM
🎯 Why go: Exceptional breakfast, excellent coffee, never crowded
The Secret:
This is a full breakfast/brunch restaurant that happens to have outstanding coffee. Most people come for the food and don’t realize the coffee program rivals specialty cafés.
What to Know:
- Single-origin pour-overs
- Proper espresso drinks
- Full breakfast menu (the real draw)
- Counter service, seat yourself
Best For:
- Breakfast + coffee combo
- Weekend mornings without long waits
- People who want substance with their caffeine
Why It’s Hidden:
Located on Tejon but slightly north of main action. Locals know it, tourists walk past to more obvious spots.
Switchback Coffee Roasters
📍 Location: 916 S Tejon St
⏰ Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM – 4 PM, Sat 8 AM – 3 PM, Closed Sun
🎯 Why go: Working roastery with tiny café, serious coffee, zero pretension
The Secret:
Working roastery with a small café counter. You’re drinking coffee 10 feet from where it was roasted. Coffee nerds love this place; casual drinkers walk past without noticing.
What to Know:
- They roast for other cafés around town
- Rotating single-origin selection
- Pour-overs are the move here
- Minimal seating (not a hangout spot)
Best For:
- Coffee enthusiasts who care about sourcing
- Buying beans to brew at home
- Quick morning coffee before work
- Watching the roasting process
Why It’s Hidden:
South Tejon location, easy to miss, doesn’t advertise. No Instagram presence. Just good coffee.
Storybook Cafe
📍 Location: 516 N Tejon St
⏰ Hours: Tue-Sat 8 AM – 2 PM, Closed Sun-Mon
🎯 Why go: Children’s bookstore café with surprisingly good coffee, adults welcome
The Secret:
It’s a kids’ bookstore café, so adults assume it’s not for them. Wrong. The coffee is excellent, the atmosphere is calming, and there’s something nice about being surrounded by picture books while you work.
What to Know:
- Quality coffee program
- Light breakfast items
- Quiet atmosphere
- Yes, it’s kid-friendly, but plenty of adults work here
- Books for sale (great for gifts)
Best For:
- Quiet work sessions
- Meeting parent friends (obvious)
- Escaping the typical coffee shop scene
- Finding an unexpected gem
Why It’s Hidden:
Name implies it’s just for kids. It’s not.
☕ Local Roasters Worth Knowing
Loyal Coffee
What they’re known for: Clean, bright roasts. Single-origin focus. Transparent sourcing. Barista-owned.
Where to buy: Their cafés, or online for home brewing.
Vibe: Third-wave quality without the snobbery.
Switchback Coffee Roasters
What they’re known for: Small-batch roasting, rotating selection, supplying other local cafés.
Where to buy: Their roastery café (916 S Tejon) or online.
Vibe: Serious about coffee, approachable about everything else.
Story Coffee Company
What they’re known for: House roasting, creative seasonal blends, coffee flights.
Where to buy: Both Story Coffee locations or online.
Vibe: Community-focused, experimental, fun.
Pikes Perk Coffee Roasters
What they’re known for: Air-roasted beans for 25+ years, local institution.
Where to buy: Their cafés or online.
Vibe: Reliable, consistent, Colorado Springs classic.
🗺️ Coffee Shop Guide by Neighborhood
Downtown Colorado Springs (Tejon Corridor)
Best Overall: Loyal Coffee (downtown location)
Quick Grab: Cirque Coffee
Hidden Gem: Bird Tree Cafe
Unique: Story Coffee (tiny house in Acacia Park)
Parking: Street meters or Bijou/Cascade garages
Old Colorado City (Colorado Ave)
Best Overall: Story Coffee (OCC location)
Also Great: Crave Coffee & Juice Bar
Nearby: Easy walk to galleries, short drive to Ivywild
Parking: Street parking plentiful
Ivywild Area (South Cascade)
Best Overall: Principal’s Office
Combo Move: Coffee then Bristol Brewing
Explore: Entire Ivywild School complex
Parking: Free school parking lot
North End (Academy/Briargate)
Best Overall: Pikes Perk (Mountain Shadows), Loyal Coffee (Northgate)
Quick Option: Dutch Bros (several locations)
Parking: Always easy (suburban strip centers)
South/Southeast
Best Overall: Check Pikes Perk locations
Quick Option: Dutch Bros
Hidden Gem: Switchback Coffee Roasters (South Tejon)
Parking: Always easy
Altitude & Coffee: What You Should Know
You’re at 6,035 feet. This affects your coffee experience:
Caffeine hits harder:
Same cup of coffee will affect you more than at sea level. If you’re visiting from lower elevation, go easy the first few days.
Water boils at lower temperature:
This matters for pour-overs. Local roasters and cafés adjust. Home brewers: your pour-over recipe needs tweaking at altitude.
Dehydration is real:
Coffee is a diuretic. At altitude, dehydration happens faster. Drink water between cups.
Pro tip from locals: One glass of water per cup of coffee. Non-negotiable if you’re hiking or being active.
Coffee Shop Etiquette (Colorado Springs Edition)
Laptop Work Sessions
✅ Do: Buy something every 2-3 hours
✅ Do: Clean up your space when leaving
✅ Do: Use headphones for video calls or music
✅ Do: Be aware during rush hours (8-10 AM)
❌ Don’t: Take up 4-person tables alone during busy times
❌ Don’t: Save seats indefinitely while you’re gone
❌ Don’t: Treat it like a free co-working space (one coffee for 8 hours)
Tipping Culture
Standard:
- $1 per drink minimum
- $2 for complicated drinks
- 20% on food orders
Real talk: Baristas remember good tippers. Become a regular, tip well, and your drinks get better.
Peak Hours to Avoid
- 8-10 AM: Morning rush (weekdays)
- 9-11 AM: Brunch crowd (weekends)
- 12-1 PM: Lunch rush
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