A Wren Says

When I think coffee shop, I think of leisure. In my imagination, I am toting a book or a laptop so I can sit and savor the flavors and the experience. My San Francisco coffee experience was not that. It was in and out and keep it moving. I visited two shops on my stay I will get into them below. Here are two walk up coffee shops I visited while I was in town.

Coffee Movement

To be perfectly honest, I was drawn to this place by the name alone. I imagined something experimental. As we wound through the streets of Chinatown, and after waiting in a long line, we were able to approach the counter. Then I panicked and ordered a tea. Early Greyhound, a sparkling iced beverage. It was okay but not the best option for a day when I was constantly chilly.

Golden Goat

This spot was little trickier to find, a walkup in an alley. Definitely worth it. I am a sucker for any drink with flowers in the recipe. The drink was so good, it tasted like it was made with love. I also got a delicious chocolate croissant (or a pain au chocolat for you purists). They rotate receiving their baked goods from a few different local bakeries. various local bakeries. The bakery that supplied the croissant, Compagnon, is definitely on my list to visit now.

I would classify both locations, Coffee Movement and Golden Goat, as walk-up shops. Neither had seating inside, though there were benches out front. Truthfully, there was only enough room to place your order and quickly browse the shelves before being ushered out to wait for your order.  

I hadn’t experienced the concept before. It makes me want to learn more about the rationale for the set-up. Is it purely because of space and real estate costs? Is it culture? There were certainly “traditional” coffee shops in the area, but this was an interesting new concept for me to try.