Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast, or you cannot operate before your morning cup, or you just genuinely enjoy the ambiance of coffee shops, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find what you’re looking for in Santa Cruz. With 12 different options in just over 12 square miles, there is an abundance of coffee shops in Santa Cruz, each with its own story and its own vibe. To help you narrow down your search, we put together the ultimate coffee guide to Santa Cruz (listed in order of when they opened), including a helpful “Coffee Census” from a very dedicated Reddit user doing the good work (thanks, groovitron2000!!)

And, as an added bonus, we’ve included some of the go-to orders of the Economic Development and Housing team if you need a little inspiration. Here’s what’s brewing...

Caffe Pergolesi – (honorable mention) If you’re new to Santa Cruz, you may not remember Caffe Pergolesi, but this iconic shop was the oldest Santa Cruz coffee shop, opening in 1973. However, after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989, the shop relocated to the iconic 418 Cedar St., a beautiful Victorian that was a popular hangout spot for UCSC students but closed in 2017.

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasters – This Downtown Santa Cruz staple opened in 1978 before the specialty coffee craze and education around the nuisances of coffees from around the world. With it came the BrewBar, introducing customers to expertly hand-brewed coffee, a tradition that continues to this day.

• 1330 Pacific Ave. (Downtown)

Lulu Carpenter's – Named after Lulu Carpenter who owned a millinery and dress shop in Santa Cruz, its downtown location first opened in 1992 and was the first business to open on Pacific Avenue after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Now with three locations in Santa Cruz, including drive thru and walk-up locations in Midtown, and a kiosk that dates back to the 1970’s on the Westside. PS. Did you know if you roll through the “drive through” on your bike, you can score 10% off in Midtown?

• 1545 Pacific Ave. (Downtown)
• 925 Soquel Ave. (Midtown)
• 930 Almar Ave. (Westside)

Java Junction – Started in 1992, with its flagship store on Seabright right next to the Santa Cruz County Pacific Railway (hence the “Junction” part of the name), this family-owned shop now has locations in three corners in the City of Santa Cruz. Beach lovers rejoice because you can conveniently grab your cup before heading to Seabright State Beach or at the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor steps from Twin Lake State Beach.

• 519 Seabright Ave. (Seabright)
• 580 S. River St. (Riverwalk & Tannery)
• 2222 E. Cliff Ave. (Seabright)

Alta Coffee – While not originally founded in Santa Cruz, Alta Coffee was relocated to the Westside in 2014 after outgrowing its home a little further North in Davenport after 18 years. Before that, Patti Spooners and her partner Tony Wilson were the original owners of Alta Coffee Roasting in Newport Beach, CA which was started as a wholesale business in 1984. Named after Spooners’ mother, Alta, this shop delivers pesticide-free beans and is Certified Organic and a Monterey Bay Area Green Business.

• 2712 Mission St. Ext (Westside)

Firefly Coffee – Arguably home of the best bagel (hand-folded!) in Santa Cruz, Firefly Coffee opened in 2007. Their coffee is locally roasted and organic, and designed to compliment their mouth-watering bagels.

• 131A Front St. (Beach Hill)

Economic Development Coordinator, Katie's (that’s me!) go-to: Everything bagel with (light) plain cream cheese and a black coffee.

Verve Coffee Roasters – Many might assume Verve was Santa Cruz’s original coffee roaster due to their national presence, but in terms of timing, they actually came in mid-pack. That said, they undeniably helped put Santa Cruz on the map for coffee. They started in 2007 with their location on 41st in Live Oak, Verve brought its Roastery to Seabright in 2012 right next to another Santa Cruz institution, NHS, Inc. (the parent company of Santa Cruz Skateboards, amongst other big name skate brands). It also has shops in Downtown and the Westside covering nearly every part of the City.

• 104 Bronson St. (Seabright)
• 1540 Pacific Ave. (Downtown)
• 1010 Fair Ave. (Westside)

Economic Development Manager, Rebecca’s go to order: Nitro Flashbrew (from the Westside)

The Abbey – Now serving up 11th Hour Coffee (more on them below), this spot is located in Vintage Faith Church and opened in 2008. Beyond being a coffee shop, The Abbey operates as a non-profit space for art and as a music lounge serving the community.

• 350 Mission St. (Westside)

Cat & Cloud – Opening its Westside location two weeks before the pandemic struck in 2020, you wouldn’t know it today (its breakfast burrito is totally worth the wait!). The idea started brewing in 2015, but their first physical location opened in 2016 on Portola in Live Oak. Its trio of founders were alumni of Verve Coffee Roasting and wanted to create something new. In 2018 the roastery moved to Swift St. in the same building its Westside location would soon open in. Then, it expanded again in 2023 right next to the current cafe space. Its people-first mission is apparent when you walk into any of its four shops (two in the City) as its almost guaranteed that you’ll walk out feeling like a million bucks because of the compliments and the coffee.

• 719 Swift St. (Westside)
• 725 Front St., Abbott Square (Downtown)

Economic Development Coordinator, Josie’s go to order: Iced Americano

Housing Development Manager, Jesse’s go to order: Quad Espresso (from Abbott Square)

11th Hour Coffee – What started as a coffee cart at Farmers Markets in 2017, quickly escalated to its first physical location in the Food Lounge in 2018. In 2021, a second location was opened in the Swift St. Courtyard in the space that was formally Kelly’s French Bakery. Shortly after, the management of the Food Lounge was passed to the Estby brothers and 11th Hour Coffee founders, Joel and Brayden in 2022. With the transition, they expanded the offerings of the After Hours to include a craft cocktail menu and more entertainment options. Continuing the transformation and expansion of the business, the downtown space was renovated in 2024 to allow for more food offerings, seating, and created a more open space.

• 1001 Center St. #1 (Downtown)
• 402 Ingalls St. #12 (Westside)

Housing and Community Development Manager, Jessica’s go to order: Latte, in multiple varieties

Housing Program Specialist, Emily’s go to order: Iced Conflicted Hippie! (It's a matcha latte with 3 different non-dairy milks) and a Carrot Cake Cupcake.

Shrine Coffee – Located right next to the legendary Steamer Lane, this non-profit community coffee shop transformed a conference room in the Shrine of St. Joseph Church and opened in March 2020. Serving Cat & Cloud Coffee, this shop is a space for everyone.

• 544 West Cliff Dr. (Westside)

Mariposa Coffee Bar – After testing the market for two years as a pop up, the women owned coffee bar converted its former sandwich shop to its permanent coffee shop in the familiar, yet totally transformed, Downtown location in 2023. Drawing from the backgrounds of its founders, the Cuban and Vietnamese inspired coffee shop and features an all-vegetarian menu.

• 1010 Pacific Ave. (Downtown)

Business Liaison, Sarah’s go to order: Mint Drip (Cafe Sua Da + fresh mint)

Hidden Fortress Coffee – The newest coffee shop to grace Santa Cruz, Hidden Fortress Coffee moved into the Cruzio building in Downtown Santa Cruz in 2024. Known from its Farmers Market presence, the Pajaro Valley-based farm started roasting coffee in 2012 and had two shops in Watsonville (including one at Cabrillo College in 2019) before opening their Santa Cruz location.

• 877 Cedar St., Cruzio (Downtown)