On the corner of 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard sits a little gem called.....well, 32 Shea. Established in 2011 this place has been changing the face of the neighborhood as well as proving how creativity and hard can break down any barriers of how you view your local espresso bar/café/lounge/drive-thru/Zen space. In this episode I sit down with owner Rebecca Golden to talk about how her vision and determination have turned this Up-Uptown* neighborhood spot into more than just another place to get a chai latte. Or a craft beer. Or bacon-cheddar waffles. Or a glass of wine. Or a Nutella Espresso Martini. Or braised short ribs. You get the point. Seriously, all of that stuff is available there at one time or another during the day. This place rocks.
My wife Jackie and I initially came across 32 Shea one day when we were going to take an early morning trip to Flagstaff. Using trusty ol’ Yelp I found this new place close to the highway that allegedly had some pretty awesome coffee options. We found the place in an unassuming parking lot in front of a strip mall and proceeded through the drive-thru. We looked at the menu, pulled up to the window, and began to place our order when the girl at the window said “just so you know our specialty coffee today is a pistachio Nutella latte”. I saw the pure joy on Jackie’s face and I could tell that she was hooked. And then she actually TASTED it. I immediately heard the classic love song emanating from Jackie’s brain ("Just the 2 of us. We can make it if we try. Just the 2 of us. You and I!"). And my vanilla latte had enough kick into it to allow Jackie and I to solve all the world’s problems during our 2 hour drive. I knew at that point that I would (happily) be spending lots of money there over the next few years.
Since then 32 Shea has expanded in multiple ways. For starters they are open for 15 hours a day six days out of the week which means you could spend all day there and:
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Get a fantastic coffee or tea made with local beans and tea leaves
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Happy hour runs from 6am until 6pm!!!
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They also cater
They have expanded the quaint physical structure into an amazing patio with a Buddhist statue fountain as the centerpiece. This fountain really pulls it all together and creates the ambience that perfectly matches the energy of this place. Trees also fill the patio which create the perfect oasis. Between the trees and the fountain you have no idea you are literally 50 feet from the busy traffic of 32nd Street.
Next time you are around 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard stop by no matter what time of day it is and I bet you find something you like.
* Up-Uptown is a Copyright of Rebecca Golden
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
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