Coffee Culture
During the past few years, downtown Indianapolis has experienced a local coffee shop boom leaving us with almost more places to grab a cup o’ joe than we know what to do with. At first glance it may seem that each shop is just a place to enjoy a good cup of local brew with friends, but our local coffee shops have personalities just as vivid and varied as the neighborhoods they represent. Whether you’re looking for a place to work from home or a spot to catch up with old friends, one of these shops will have just the atmosphere to fit your needs.
Monon Coffee Company
2422 Central Ave.
• This Central Avenue location is the counterpart to Monon Coffee Company’s Broad Ripple location, but don’t expect anything like the slightly crowded, rough and tumble atmosphere you’ll find in Broad Ripple. Bright, open, quiet and clean, this is perfect spot to buckle down and get some work done if you’re an early riser. But don’t make the mistake of thinking they’ll be open during the afternoon. This shop closes promptly at noon. They serve a variety of drinks beside coffee, including freezes and smoothies, plus they have a large parking lot with plenty of free parking.
• HOURS
Monday – Friday: 6:30 am – noon
Saturday: 8 am – noon
Sunday: Closed
• HOUSE COFFEE
$1.50 + $1 refills
• THEY SERVE
Ancora Artisan Coffee and Tea and J. Martinez & Company coffee
Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company
647 Virginia Ave.
• This Fountain Square shop has been serving coffee and espresso since 2009. They moved to their larger Virginia Avenue location in 2012 where you will now find young creatives brainstorming a project at one of the large communal tables, a few business execs chatting comfortably on the couches in the back, or the occasional college student hunched over her computer in one of their many nooks and crannies. Their signature drink, the Calvin Pepper, is a traditional cappuccino with a dash of honey and cayenne pepper and a must-try. Calvin Fletcher’s serves a variety of local coffees, espressos, and pastries, but perhaps what sets them apart most is their not-for-profit status. Father–son duo, Doug and Jeff Litsey, opened the shop so they could donate profits to other local nonprofits and have been doing just that for the last six years.
• HOURS
Monday – Saturday: 7 am – 6 pm (9 pm on First Fridays)
Sunday: Closed
• HOUSE COFFEE
$1.59 + $1 refills
• THEY SERVE
Jameson Coffee from Greencastle, IN and will soon start roasting their own
Henry’s Coffee Bistro
627 N. East St.
• Henry’s is one of the more spacious downtown coffee shops. With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating just off of Mass. Ave., this low-key shop is a great stop for someone looking to grab a quick bite to eat with friends or a quiet spot for working from home. Mike Penley purchased Henry’s in 2013 and has been working on renovations throughout the shop. If you haven’t stopped by in a few years, you may want to pop in and see what he’s done with the place. With local coffee and a full lunch menu including sandwiches, wraps, and salads, this shop pulls in a small but loyal group of customers all morning and afternoon.
• HOURS
Monday – Friday: 7 am – 6 pm
Saturday – Sunday: 8 am – 4 pm
• HOUSE COFFEE
Bottomless – $2.40
• THEY SERVE
Local roasts from Julian Coffee Roasters
Starbucks Coffee Company
430 Massachusetts Ave.
• Starbucks may not offer local coffees or pastries, but they do offer hours for both the early bird and the night owl. They feature a wide variety of Frappuccinos, teas, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries and are probably one of the few places you will find organic milk and juice boxes for children. Starbucks’ large selection of seating throughout the store makes it a great place to chat with friends without feeling like you are disturbing the pensive author at the next table. Unfortunately, you will most likely have to pay for parking, one downside to Starbucks’ prime location on Mass. Ave.
• HOURS
Monday – Thursday: 5:30 am – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday: 5:30 am – 11 pm
Sunday: 6 am – 10 pm
• HOUSE COFFEE
$3.25 / 12 oz.
• THEY SERVE
Starbuck’s Coffee
Foundry Provisions
236 E. 16th St.
• Featuring local roasters, a full espresso menu, and sandwiches made with local meats and breads, this two-year-old shop on 16th Street and Alabama has quickly become a staple for Old Northside and Herron-Morton Place residents. The cheery location attracts plenty of locals who stop by to chat with friends, work on their latest novel, or kill time before school starts. The Foundry is almost always guaranteed to be filled with hustle and bustle. If you’re not one for crowds, you may want to note this coffee shop often attracts a school crowd. A throng of students from Herron High School just down the street often shows up before classes start at 9 am (10 am on Fridays) and right after school lets out at 4 pm.
• HOURS
Monday – Friday: 7 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 8 am – 6 pm
Sunday: 8 am – 3 pm
• HOUSE COFFEE
Bottomless – $2.15
• THEY SERVE
Local roasts from Julian Coffee Roasters and Tinker Coffee Co.
Thirsty Scholar
116 E. 16th St.
• This coffee shop by day, bar by night is just a few blocks from Foundry Provisions and features a much more demure atmosphere. Marble tabletops, wrought iron fencing, and leather bound books create a very 20s-inspired ambiance while jazzy music plays lightly in the background. Its quiet, airy atmosphere is a perfect place to get work done during the day, but come five o’clock when they switch to table service it starts to fill up with socializers and groups of friends out on the town. Thirsty Scholar is also located underneath the Penn Arts building, and after six o’clock you’ll have to fight residents for street parking.
• HOURS
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 8 am – 1 am
Saturday: 9 am – 1 am
Sunday: 9 am – midnight
• HOUSE COFFEE
$2.50 + $1 refills
• THEY SERVE
Roasts from Chicago-based, Intelligentsia Coffee
Funkyard Art Gallery & Coffee
1114 Prospect St.
• Arts A Poppin’ meets coffee shop in this relaxed spot that feels like you just stepped off the boardwalk in Newport Beach instead of Prospect Street in Fountain Square. The Funkyard is a bright and cozy shop that sells so much more than coffee. You can also find gelato, smoothies, vintage records, and local artists’ paintings, jewelry, and crafts. During the summer, their intimate patio is a perfect spot to enjoy a cup of gelato with your significant other, or beat the crowd and stop by in the late morning while the shop is still quiet.
• HOURS
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 10ish – 9ish
Friday & Saturday: 10ish – 10ish
Sunday: Noonish – 5ish
• HOUSE COFFEE
Bottomless – $2.00
• THEY SERVE
Local roasts from Bee Coffee Roasters