When it comes to a good cup of joe, Aurora has an array of local options. Hidden cafes and coffee shops all over the city specialize in an exciting range of brews and styles, from full bodied, authentic imports to house roasted beans to artful and Instagram-worthy latte designs. Most niche coffee shops in Aurora have charming themes — French, Bohemian, urban, Afrocentric — you can find it all in Aurora. Here are just a few highlights.
1452 Kenton St.
303-519-4817
One of Aurora’s newest coffee hot spots, Jubilee Roasting Company was born in an East Colfax warehouse space in 2015 and moved to its current location off Kenton Street in the same year. Founder Peter Wanberg describes the all-in-one shop as a full-fledged coffee roasting company, coffee shop and art studio, with 2,000 square feet of creative space.
15290 E. Iliff Ave.
303-369-3111
Head chef/owner Cisco Lopez took over a local coffee shop in 2010 and never dreamed it would morph into a staple cafe and restaurant with multiple locations throughout the metro area. “We have really tried to keep to our coffee shop roots throughout our growth and, while we have excelled as a restaurant, I think we do a pretty good job at syncing the two operations into one,” Lopez said.
12101 E. Iliff Ave.
303-396-6178
With drink items like Cookie Crunch Frozen Joe, Toffee Nut Frozen Joe, Caramel Frozen Joe and blended teas and coffee drinks, Beantree has the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. The small cafe has a modern, mobile office vibe with a very relaxed and low-lit layout.
17070 E. Quincy Ave.
303-284-5359
At Shiva Coffee, quality is key. Owner Shankar Ramakrishnan sources only organic, fair-trade green beans, and roasts them in small batches. He said: “We roast our coffee beans right at the shop so it is as fresh as it gets. We offer the highest quality in terms of coffee drinks. No one else does it on our side of the town. We roast only what we need for a week so it is fresh. We also offer customers the chance to custom order their roast so it is very personal.”
9898 E. Colfax Ave.
720-857-9434
Coffee Canaan opened inside the lobby of Aurora’s Martin Luther King Jr. Library in 2005, after starting up three years prior in another location. Tenagne “Tina” Sharew serves an imported Ethiopian coffee that is distinct in flavor and origin. In addition to that, she adds her own special flavor to each cup that she says customers find very exotic and distinct.
24100 E. Commons Ave., Unit 103
303-803-6851
A full family affair, Legends Coffee is owned by a husband and wife who started out with a humble espresso cart. Jacob Wickline said that after years of hard work from growing, harvesting, sourcing, washing and roasting, they opened Legends Coffee to the south Aurora suburbs. “This is a craft, an art that is constantly changing and progressing,” he said. “Once people understand the quality and work thatap instilled behind our bar, they’ll began to appreciate and taste the difference.”