By Candice Wagener | Photography by Hillary Schave
Maybe it’s the dogs or Instagram-worthy features like stunning pastries and butterfly wing murals. Or perhaps it’s the coffee and food. Whatever the reason, Grace Coffee Co. is currently a rising star in Madison. When their third location opens in Sun Prairie in May, their original location on State Street will have just celebrated an anniversary (April 2019) and their East Washington location will be nearing a half- birthday (December 2019).
“We’re trying to bring more of an experience like you’d get in a bigger city,” says co-owner Nicki Bloomer. “A lot of people’s reactions when they walk in the door is ‘I don’t feel like I’m in Madison right now.’”
The sleek black walls, the giant tropical plants and the two gentle giants who greet you upon arrival, Bernese Mountain service dogs Pablo and Diego, definitely give customers that sense of being in another world.
The brews are from Arkansas-based Onyx Coffee Labs and Portland-based Heart Coffee Roasters. Pastries like their famed cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookie dough-filled croissants are made in-house. Meats are smoked in-house as well. A full breakfast and lunch menu is available with specialties like acai bowls and skillet eggs, made to order. Beer and cocktails are additional beverage options.
“We’re not your normal coffee shop,” says co-owner Carlos Falcon. “We’re trying to be that place that people can escape reality and form part of a different community.”
417 State St. and 1216 East Washington Ave. in Madison; 1261 Cabelas Dr., Sun Prairie; facebook.com/gracecoffeeco
