Imagine a coffee shop with handcrafted lattes, a robust menu, coffee roasting next door, a massive outdoor patio, friendly service, and mocktails. Does it sound like your dream café? Lucky for us, that dream is being realized with the new and unique Lucky’s Coffee Roasters in Claremont, CA. Yes, Claremont has yet again graced us with a new coffee gem dedicated to quality, service, and experience.
Walking inside, it’s a big, bright space. Glossy white subway tiles line the back wall with a suspended ceiling just above the bar. Rustic wood panels line the base of the bar and preparations are being made to have a window looking into the roasting operation next door for your viewing pleasure. What’s even better is their massive outdoor patio with many places to sit socially distanced and soak up the California sun.
Their employees are also incredibly friendly. Claire warmly greeted me when I entered and chatted me up while she made a pumpkin latte⎯which *spoiler alert* was dynamite.
Out with the Old, in with the New!
I had the pleasure of chatting with Tyler Smith, owner of Lucky’s Coffee Roasters, and coincidentally the new Claremont location is situated where the former Starbucks once stood near the corner of Foothill Blvd and Claremont Blvd. “Inside everything was already situated to be a coffee shop, so it worked out perfectly,” said Tyler.
“Locals have been coming in and expressing how happy they are to have another coffee shop here again,” he said as we chatted about the soft opening that occurred on Friday, November 6th.
Tyler has been in the coffee biz for some time working in a commercial/corporate coffee setting. In his previous life, he oversaw marketing activities for coffee events, ran a coffee shop consultancy, and started his own coffee wholesale company until opening his own storefront in 2019 – the very first Lucky’s Coffee Roasters.
Bountiful Selections of Coffee and Espresso
Lucky’s Coffee Roasters' menu is like the gift that keeps on giving. Coffee and espresso for days! Of course, they’ve got espresso’s greatest hits like lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and americanos. However, they’ve cranked up the volume up by offering specialty menu items like:
The Rabbit Hole (quad shot espresso / mocha / oat milk)
Dirty Dona (espresso / dirty chai / milk)
Espresso Mule (espresso / mint syrup / lemon / ginger beer)
Cold Brew Lemon Julep (cold brew / lemonade / mint syrup / topo chico)
Lemon Squeezy (espresso / lemonade topo chico / wildflower honey / lemon)
April Kisses (espresso / strawberry / mocha / coconut / milk)
Don’t miss their limited Fall Collection Menu serving up festive drinks like:
The Pumpkin King Latte (hand crafted pumpkin syrup / pumpkin puree / pumpkin spice)
Grandma’s Candle (espresso / strawberry / lavender / topo chico)
Old Fashioned Chai (espresso / dona chai / topo chico / honey / orange peel)
Salted Caramel Latte (caramel / Himalayan salt / milk)
Grab a drip coffee of the day or whole coffee beans by the bag from regions like Columbia, Ethiopia, and Brazil. Heck, you can even buy a cold brew or chai lattes by the gallon!
The roasting operation next door is gearing up to be in full production by the end of 2020. Future plans in the roasting space also include classes for wholesale customers, enthusiasts, and other coffee shops looking to ramp up their skills.
Enjoy your coffee, tea, or espresso drink from their expansive patio. “We are preparing plans to set up our front patio to accommodate students and people working from home by making it easy for their devices to be fully charged,” Tyler explained as we talked about plans for the outdoor space.
“We want to encourage people to stay awhile by making our patio comfortable and functional because we believe in fostering our community.” ⎯Tyler Smith, Owner of Lucky's Coffee Roasters
Future window and entrance into the roasting area.
Mocktails COMING SOON
Mocktails anyone? Well, don’t you worry because you’ll soon enjoy this unique and exclusive experience of finely crafted tea and coffee mocktails as soon as it’s safe to dine inside. “The mocktails will be the type that are made in competitions making it feel exclusive,” Tyler explains.
There will be a dedicated space at the coffee bar that seats 4 people with its own menu and mocktail server. The menu will be rotating, and the ingredients, glasses, and garnishes are all specially curated to make this a memorable experience.
Opportunity in a Time of Crisis
In these current times of uncertainty, small businesses (especially in the service industry) have been hit the hardest. Fortunately for Lucky’s Coffee Roasters, these times have presented itself with hope and opportunity. “Since COVID-19, we’ve actually been doing better in sales. When the opportunity came up to open a second location in Claremont, it was too good to pass up,” says Tyler
“Food delivery apps and online orders have made our products more accessible, so I am seeing that COVID-19 has been positively impacting the coffee industry in general.”
Although Lucky’s already had its soft opening, plans for the grand opening are on hold for now. “When it’s safe for people to come together again, we will do an official grand opening with the Chamber of Commerce,” says Tyler.
With years of experience in the coffee industry, Tyler is creating Lucky’s Coffee Roasters to be a wonderfully unique and personal coffee experience for Claremont and the communities around it.
“We aim to provide people with high quality ingredients at a great value so people can make us a daily part of their lives.” ⎯Tyler Smith, Owner of Lucky's Coffee Roasters
Check out their new location and drop a line in the comments to share your experience.
Tell them Miss Claremont sent you ;)
contact@luckys.coffee
We love Lucky’s! We were so glad they took over the Starbucks location! Thanks for sharing about their journey!
What an exciting and unique coffee spot! 🖤