Need a java jolt? Here are some great locally owned Prescott spots for you to check out.

And, you can jump over to the Loosely Speaking blog to read more AND add your own comments about the Prescott Coffee House scene.

Prescott Coffee Roasters (Has FREE wifi) – If you prefer eclecticism along with your caffeine, this is your destination. A very busy morning gathering spot for business people, cyclists, Prescott College students, and others, it’s lively, friendly and often crowded. In fact, if it’s nice out, you’ll spot it on West Gurley (block and a half from the courthouse) by all the people gathered on the sidewalk out front. People linger over conversation or the Wall Street Journal for as long as they like.

You can pick up a bag of coffee roasted right on the premises. If you’re hungry, Roaster Eggs are popular for breakfast. Or, choose from muffins, cookies and scones. Enjoy the atmosphere and cool art on the walls early in the day since they aren’t open in the late afternoon or evening.

Check out these comments from people I talked to at the Roasters one Friday morning:

“I like working here because the coffee is free and the tips are good, among other reasons.”

“It’s VERY good — nice atmosphere, nice music, coffee’s good.”

“My name’s Michaela. I come here ’cause it’s really chill … I don’t know, I’m just really chilled out here, so… we come here maybe once or twice a week. It seems like there’s so many types of people here — one time we saw a cop and we thought ‘cool, what’s a cop doing here?’ ”

“I just like the coffee here. I feel a lot healthier eating here than I would somewhere else. And I like the atmosphere when you come in. It’s not segregated - everyone’s just hanging out and ok with each other.”

“I like to come to Coffee Roasters because it’s a more liberal atmosphere and the coffee is really good and strong.”

Cuppers Coffee House (Has FREE Wifi) – I really like the coffee décor and feel of this old house repurposed as a coffee place. (It’s on South Cortez, right next to the Hotel Vendome). It’s a more sedate group than you will find over at the Roasters (IMHO)—a lot of fifty-somethings and older. It seems to be popular for women friends getting together for coffee or lunch) but you see business people gathered in groups of two or three also. If you need a place for a meeting, you can reserve the back room. Free wifi and some good soups and sandwiches plus loads of teas to choose from. Some evenings they have live music and even a poetry night, which I’m told really brings in younger people.

Here’s a quote from an anonymous source about Cuppers that I found in my inbox one morning:

“Cuppers is the best coffee house that’s happened to Prescott–the best coffee, food, and service you’ll find anywhere, amidst lovely surroundings. Where else can you sit on the porch of an old Victorian and enjoy the wonderful Prescott ambiance?”

La Crêpe Company – Just tried this one for the first time after having visited it during some of its earlier incarnations. Located right across from the Courthouse Square on Gurley Street, it’s a nice choice if you are exploring downtown. They have a full menu of crêpes to choose from and also serve espresso drinks. When I stopped in (a Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.) there were several other customers quietly chatting over coffee. Sunny and bright, good service, the food was good, my latté was good but kind of smallish for a double.

The Raven (has FREE wifi) – The newest in town, and perhaps the most elegant. In the great old building downtown on North Cortez that formerly housed Basecamp and then Mountain Sports (and then some other places after that), the renovation of the interior is beautifully executed. Eventually it will be a restaurant but on the day when I visited, maybe a month after it opened, it was only serving coffee drinks.

If the comments of the employees and patrons gathered the day I visited are any indication of future success, this will become a wonderful gathering spot. Extras: Coyote Radio operates out of here, they have great business hours, free wifi, used local craftsmen to create the interior, and features locally roasted coffee and WILL feature locally baked pastries and breads. Here are comments shared with me:

“I guess I couldn’t express enough admiration for this place. It fits a niche in Prescott that I think was really lacking in the past. It’s a late night coffee place, there’s beautiful art on the walls that creates a sense of community…. I’m a student, and I think certainly among the student body there were a lot of student needs that were lacking here, and this place makes the town a lot more vibrant.” … Dara Cantor, barrista

“I like to come here because it’s quiet and the coffee is good. I split my business between here and (another place in town), but there’s definitely a more individual experience when I come in here. ” … patron

“It’s beautiful, it’s something Prescott has been needing, I think. It’s uptown, the prices are good, the food they had during the soft opening was wonderful. They’re open in the evening for entertainment and early for coffee. I really like the fact that local craftspeople and artists created beauty of this place.” … anonymous group of 4 women

“It’s been really exciting to be a part of this whole project. I’ve been working here for about 10 months now. To have been here and seen this place back when it was a dusty old building and be involved in the whole process of transforming the space into what it is now has been really exciting and fun. The community we’ve been able to set up here now is wonderful to experience now that we are finally open. To see it being enjoyed by a whole diversity of people has been very rewarding.”
… Co-manager