I still remember the first time I visited Nobrow, about 3 and a half years ago now.. I walked in and was warmly greeted by one of the friendliest baristas (and to this day, person) I have ever met. His name is Duffy, of course. Many people newer to the coffee scene may not recognize the name Nobrow or know much of the history behind it. I wanted to talk about it today because this shop was truly the place where most of my curiosity for coffee was cultivated. That first time I went, I was led by an online article with pictures of the shop, I was very drawn in by the aesthetics and design. At first, I didn't believe there was such a place that existed in Salt Lake City. I was very new to coffee at the time and was on the lookout for good coffee. I had already been to Portland once and it was then where I noticed that people were really taking coffee seriously, not only in what they serve but also how they designed their shops to look and feel. I eventually became a regular, sticking with a 12 ounce latte for a good while until they made me aware of the fact that an 8 ounce latte would have the same amount of coffee, but less milk. Seeing all of the coffee they had to offer at the time really made me want to start brewing at home. The list was extensive, ranging from big names like Intelligentsia, Handsome Coffee Roasters, Ritual Coffee Roasters to local roasters like Charming Beard (now, La Barba) and Blue Copper. I always asked questions and the staff there did a great job, especially when I was in there numerous times a week trying out different coffees. Jeremy was probably the first barista there that I began to talk to more and more. I think he noticed that I was becoming quite fond of coffee. Anytime I had a question about what my water/coffee ratio brewing at home or grind size would be, I would ask him. Joe Evans, of course was the person to talk to about coffee. He was the original founder of Nobrow and had before that been trained by Intelligentsia. He, in my eyes, was truly a pioneer for the Salt Lake coffee scene. During that first year of finding Nobrow, I ended up finding my first job in coffee with then Charming Beard when they opened a cafe inside of the business building at the University of Utah. I worked for Charming Beard/ La Barba for just under a year and was lead barista for them. During all of this time I had also met Patrick, who was the founder/roaster for Blue Copper. Around 3 months after Nobrow ended up merging with Blue Copper to become one as a roaster and cafe, I was offered a job at the Blue Copper Coffee Room. I, of course, accepted the job with complete happiness. I was ready for growth and what better way than being offered a job at the some shop where my love of coffee grew and grew more each day? I wrote this because I wanted to give a little bit of insight on the development of what would be a huge time of growth for the "third wave"/specialty coffee scene in Salt Lake City. Also, to acknowledge Nobrow as one very important establishment in that growth. People like Joe Evans and all of those baristas who worked at Nobrow and still work at Blue Copper Coffee room now helped push the scene and further elevate the quality of coffee in a city few people think good coffee exists, to this day. So, thanks Nobrow. You won't be forgotten.
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