For those of you who have yet to be introduced, Phoenix Coffee has come to be the face of coffee in Cleveland. This is no exaggeration. Phoenix is the largest independently-owned coffee company in the area and, on May 17, 2008, just opened a fifth location at the corner of E. 9th and Superior in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. This Phoenix Coffee Cafe is so new that on a recent visit, I worked on my laptop beside CEO Sarah Wilson-Jones (see her profile in US News here!), who was busy posting the store's North-facing decal. On this note, a recent Google search of the address turned up a barely visible "coming soon" sign outside the cafe (on Streetview) and no reference to a Phoenix cafe in the vicinity (see below).
Phoenix is known for its quirky (but very competent) baristas, hipster-approved decor, smart-ass slogans, and indie spirit. While this location draws a clientele mostly made up of the middle-aged professional (especially when compared to Phoenix's Coventry location) because of its proximity to the city's Financial District, 
the E9th and Superior Phoenix doesn't shy from its carefully crafted image. Nor does it shirk the company's reputation for serving strong --- and delicious --- coffee and tea.An especially cool (although likely temporary) amenity at this location is its Happy Hour, where you can get a free shot of espresso from
2-3:00pm (no strings attached!). The only downside of this Phoenix (unless you go during Happy Hour), though, is it's expense. My 16oz iced coffee (which was very caffeinated, strong, and full-bodied), for instance, cost $2.50 and a Toddy-style iced coffee would've run upwards of $3.- Across the board, Phoenix's selection runs for about the same (or a bit higher) price than your typical Starbucks. But --- as anyone at Phoenix would tell you --- if you're going to compare Phoenix to Starbucks then you're really missing the point (why, just check out this ad, left, which Phoenix put in a Seattle newspaper in the midst of Starbucks'over-publicized 3 hour closing last Spring).Whether you like the Arcade Fire or just strong coffee, you'll love this Phoenix!
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Phoenix Coffee is extremely strong. Excellent. Yummy. What else can I say?! Kyle and I go there almost every day. And if you are looking to be sustainable with your coffee, this is the place to go. They use recyclable materials (you can recycle your foam cup in the cafe) and they have a wide variety of fair trade coffees. Also, you should buy one of their plastic travel mugs: they're only $3 and they have cute little coffee sayings like, "Not your average Joe", "Careful, I'm hot", and "Just a little nutty". How can you go wrong? Buy one for the coffee drinker in your life.
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