The second location of Fair Trade Cafe is a disappointing missed opportunity. Descending the concrete steps into the patio of metal furniture promises a great bunker of caffeination.
Instead, this ASU-adjacent location feels like a university's student union coffee shop from the early 1990s. I'm not anti concrete and glass and steel, but this space feels thrown together and unfit for an afternoon or evening of quiet conversation, study, or reading. Not cozy.
Plus (or should I say "Minus"?), there were no ceramics to serve their coffee and espresso in, which reminds me of the early days at Hob Nobs. May I say out loud that you must not open your coffee shop unless you have ceramic mugs and demitasse cups on day one? Try drinking an espresso or espresso macchiato from a 12 oz. paper cup. It's on your face. Quickly.