San Jose coffee shops | spiffykerms.com

Exploring Coffee Shops: Social Policy

At justÂ about two weeks old, I randomly came across the new Bellano coffee shop called Social PolicyÂ in downtown San Jose this morning. It’s a gorgeous clean lined and beautiful design inside with the most perfect lighting for capturing photos of the place. I couldn’t stop getting up from my seat to snap photos.

Not many people sitting around drinking their morning fixÂ since it’s so new. I can only assume it’s due to people not knowing it’s open yet.Â I had a chat with the guy working there, and he said thatÂ this location was previously a spot called Black Bird Tavern. Having not been too familiar with downtown San Jose, I was never in that tavern before it closed down to become Social Policy.

Bellano has always focused on coffee but Social Policy has branched out and is serving up pastries and snacks, and I’ve been told they’re working on opening up a kitchen to serve more food than baked goods.

I often like to take some me-time for an hour or so a few times a week, to turn off my phone (putting it in airplane mode) and enjoy my quiet time at coffee shops. I people watch, mainly â€” and it’s especially interesting to do so, here in the Bay Area. I can only imagine what sort of new deals are going down with the big wigs, or ideas people are coming up with.

It was a cool experience drinking my morning latte there today, the staff were neighbourlyÂ and chattyÂ with me. I’ll definitely be back, especially that time of morning watching the commuters on the VTA train right outside the front door.

Definitely give their vanilla latte, and a piece of banana bread a shot. :)

Social Policy
200 SouthÂ 1th St, San Jose CA
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Exploring Coffee Shops: Roy’s Station Coffee

I don’t mean to go all hipster on you, but I prefer checking out the small local coffee shops around rather than going to regular chains for my hot cuppa. I enjoy scoping out my new city, and places I wouldn’t have known existed if I didn’t explore. I have been trying to go to a new-to-me coffee shop once every two weeks â€”Â but sometimes I tend to go back to the places I’ve found because I enjoy the ambiance, the drinks and food, and warm welcomes.

Roy Murotsune is now 89 and owned Roy’s Gas Station since 1946, his family re-purposed it and turned it into a coffee shop. Â It had the coolest concept for a coffee shop, and saw it on Instagram and knew I had to pop in for a visit.

Although I do have a particular drink I like to order at coffee shops, I still like to head over to Yelp to see what people recommend or dislike from a place before I visit. What I didn’t realize was that Roy’s Station Coffee & Tea isÂ DOG FRIENDLY! I tweeted to them, making sure they were so Alfie could come on a mid-morning adventure with me, and sure enough their patio was perfect for your pooches. Although I’d normally bring Alfie with me to a place like this, I didn’t like the idea of tying him up outside while I took photographs and ordered. He would panic, and bark like a maniac, so I left him at homeÂ for an hour or so while I checked this spot out with Megan before she moved back to Toronto.

My drink is on the right, it was a barista’s PFox’s special which was called Mocha Joy (kinda like Megan Joy, ha!) and it had mocha, almond syrup and coconut syrup. So good.