As Nathaniel Moore sits quietly at a table sipping tea, he absorbs the surroundings and soft background music that fills the coffee shop. He reads the paper while watching a mural being painted on a nearby wall, one of a large tree branching out in all directions. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans permeates the area as people come and go, ordering a variety of different drinks.
Moore’s dream has always been to open a coffee shop. It is because of this dream that Moore continues to stop in at Vecinos, a coffee shop that opened up in downtown Muncie earlier this month. Offering a number of different items, ranging from coffees and cappuccinos to teas and hot chocolate as well as salads and sandwiches, Vecinos has a quiet, laid-back ambience for those looking for an authentic cup of coffee.
“I love the environment of this place. Muncie doesn’t have many coffee shops like this one,” Moore, a freshman psychology major, said.
Vecinos, which is Spanish for “neighbor,” is considered a third wave–or connoisseur–coffee shop.
“I have helped almost 200 people open up shops, and I have been noticing what works and what doesn’t,” owner Guy Pfanz said. “I wanted a model for those looking to open a shop.”
Pfanz also established Alliance World Coffees, a roasting company based in Muncie. The prospect of opening up a third wave shop in a test city such as Muncie is what motivated Pfanz to create Vecinos, he said.
“We’re probably only one of two third wave shops in the state,” said Pfanz. “Places like Seattle and Portland have many more.”
Vecinos store manager Chris Deferio said he wanted to bring a higher level of coffee to the Muncie area.
“Coffee started out in diners and local places, which would be considered the first wave,” he said. “Then places like Starbucks and Seattle’s Best, which was the second wave, came along.”
The second wave shops focused on the “fru fru” side of coffee, which means they offer lots of flavors and add lots of whipped cream in order to cover the taste of the coffee, Pfanz said. At Vecinos, the process of making a cup of coffee has been broken down into a science.
“At Vecinos, we are into the science of extraction. Extraction includes the roasting and grinding as well as the actual preparation of each cup. We don’t want to cover the taste, we want to accentuate it,” Pfanz said.
Deferio agrees, and said everyone at the shop is concerned with the value of the coffee.
“Everyone here is highly concerned with learning how to create a quality product. There is a lot of thought put into our coffee,” he said. “Everything is purposeful and thought through in order to make high quality drinks. We really just want people to have a good cup of coffee.”
A good cup of coffee is the ultimate goal, which is why they roast and grind their coffee in the store, Deferio said.
One unique aspect of the shop is its latte art. Deferio describes latte art as making designs with milk on top of beverages such as espressos, macchiatos, cappuccinos and hot chocolates.
“Leaves and hearts are two of the more common shapes. We practice free pour latte art, which means we don’t use any tools or instruments. We focus more on the flow of milk. We want the latte art to serve as a visual indicator of the quality underneath,” Deferio said.
Vecinos was opened up with the mission of showing those interested in opening up coffee shops what it takes to facilitate a successful shop, Pfanz said.
“The death of coffee shops’ quality is when they think they’ve arrived,” Deferio said. “We’re constantly trying to improve the quality of our coffee and baked goods. The beauty of taste has to match the beauty of design.”
Community involvement is another focus at Vecinos, where local artists have contributed different pieces in order to add to the atmosphere of the shop. Handcrafted wooden benches line the walls and the floors are adorned with custom-made tables that give Vecinos an artistic appeal.
“The artists feel like they have left a piece of themselves here, which is what we wanted to accomplish,” Pfanz said.
Deferio said that Vecinos is always looking to innovate, even if that means coming up with new ways to brew their coffee.
“We come from experience, we have seen what is out there and what can be created,” he said. “We always try to have one ear to the railroad track.”
Ball State Daily News > Features
Muncie coffee shop part of 'third wave'
Published: Monday, January 18, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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1 comments
So excited for fine coffee to finally make its appearance in small town conservative central Indiana.
Great article.