Sit down, drink up — 5 Salt Lake City coffee shops you may not have known existed

There are perks to having a coffee shop in your neighborhood.

First of all, it is practical. An easy place to grab a morning or afternoon shot of caffeine.

It is social — where people meet, make plans, connect.

And it can be a sanctuary. A welcome port to retreat with a book or peer out the window and ponder.

With so many uses, it’s nice to know that new coffee shops and roasters are bubbling up all the time.

In Salt Lake City, five places have opened within the past year that you may — or may not — have known existed.

These five businesses — Blue Copper 2000, Cupla, The Dayroom, Kings Peak Coffee Roasters and Three Pines Coffee — all share one trait. They make coffee using high-quality, specialty beans from around the world that have been roasted in a way that captures the best flavors of that place. The owners also pay attention to who is growing the beans, often buying directly from farmers and paying a fair price.

What makes each unique? Here’s a snapshot of what we found:

Blue Copper 2000 • 401 N. 300 West, Salt Lake City; bluecopperslc.com. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Blue Copper’s original coffee room has been an anchor of the up-and-coming Central 9th District of Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake City-based coffee roaster opened its second shop earlier this month in another urban neighborhood undergoing revitalization — Marmalade.

This new sibling is far from being an identical twin. The 2000 concept features a white-and-black interior and a 1980s, arcade vibe. While it has a new look and slightly more seating, 2000 offers the same communal vibe and Blue Copper’s expertly roasted coffee, espresso and lattes. Customers also will find cold brew, tea, pastries and coffee beans to go.

Cupla Coffee • 175 W. 200 South (inside the Axis Building), Salt Lake City; 661-607-3190 or cuplacoffee.com. Open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Abby Purdie and Beth Heath are the fun-loving, irreverent, beanie-wearing twins who own and operate this downtown coffee shop and bakery. After seven years working for a Park City roaster, the two decided to start their own roasting company. Cupla — which means twins in Irish Gaelic — celebrated its first anniversary in April.

Originally from Southern California and raised Mormon, the women import coffee beans from all over the world and roast them in small batches. The sisters sell a signature white roast that tastes soft and nutty and without bitter notes. They bake for alternative diets, making low-sugar, gluten-free, vegan and paleo treats. Banana bread and double dark chocolate brownies are customer favorites.

The Dayroom • 271 N Center St., Salt Lake City; 801-596-0566 or dayroomandems.com. Open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This is one of the first Utah businesses to have CBD on the menu — add it to any drink for an additional $3. Of course, this Capitol Hill coffee shop — in the former Alchemy Coffee location — stands out for another reason. It’s owned by Emily Gassman, who updated the tiny house next to Em’s — her dinner-only restaurant — for the new project.

The coffee selection includes espresso, lattes, tea and shrubs; and the minimalist menu ranges from simple yogurt and granola to a breakfast tostada with beans and a fried egg. The menu expands for weekend brunch. Eat in the coffee shop with its rustic wood floors and clean white walls; or walk through the arched doorway and sit in Em’s dining room or on the enticing outdoor patio. The coffee shop shares Em’s state liquor license, so wine, beer and limited cocktails are available.

Kings Peak Coffee Roasters • 412 S. 700 West, Suite 140, Salt Lake City; 385-267-1890 or kingspeakcoffeeroasters.com. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Owner Garland Ledbetter could only drink coffee loaded with cream and sugar until his wife, Brandy, an airline employee, took him to Costa Rica, where he discovered significantly better java. The couple began roasting small batches of coffee beans in their home kitchen. They expanded into the garage and, finally, last October, opened Kings Peak Coffee Roasters, inside an old steel foundry. They share the remodeled red brick building — built around 1900 — with an art gallery and coworking space.

While the Ledbetters concentrate on finding high-quality coffee beans from around the world, their children help run the coffee shop, which serves drip, espresso, latte, tea and cold brew. There are bags of roasted coffee beans to-go and savory and sweet food items, including South American alfajores cookies. To find this hidden gem, look for the “coffee” signs on 400 South just east of the Interstate 15 on and offramps.

Three Pines Coffee • 165 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 805-395-8907 or threepinescoffee.com. Open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After living in Los Angeles and making a run in the music business, owners Meg Frampton and Nick Price returned to Utah, launching a mobile coffee business. They gathered a loyal following by parking their street cart — with a single grinder and espresso machine — at farmers markets, other events and the patio of Salt Lake City’s Liberty Heights Fresh market. Last September, they moved into a permanent spot in the historic Herald Building on Main Street — next to the now-closed Lamb’s Grill.

The sleek, modern shop serves small-batch drip coffee, espresso, chai, matcha and hot chocolate. The counter is always filled with an array of pastries from Salt Lake City’s Honeycomb Bakery. All combined, it’s no surprise that earlier this year, Food & Wine magazine praised Three Pines for being “Salt Lake’s most precise, most modern, and very best little café."