A Surprise Coffee Shop Visit
If I had the option to travel around the world visiting coffee shops every day, just to sit there and sip a cup of coffee, that would be my first choice. But since that is not an option, I can just visit coffee shops in my spare time, which is what I do every chance I can get. As I may visit many coffee shops, I thought I would share my experience with you so you can have the chance to visit some of these coffee shops to savor the vibes of coffee, pastries, and enjoyment that just can’t be passed up!
I have been taking my summer vacation in Surprise Arizona for the last 5 years now for a few weeks in the month of July. As I began to enjoy the area, you know what I had to do! I had to find a coffee shop of course! Surprise is a large city, so finding a specialty coffee shop was going to be easy. There were so many options to choose from, but the one that caught my attention was a coffee shop right across the road from the subdivision I was staying at.
This beautiful coffee shop is in a so-called “Strip Mall” in a small corner shop. I was excited to find one so close seriously walking distance from me. Although being in a bad location due to being so close to our home, it was almost too good to be true. This Surprise Specialty Coffee Shop is best known as “Spencer’s Place!
Spencer’s Place has been my favorite coffee shop from the day I visited it for the first time. As I walked in, I was greeted by the wonderful staff with a warm “HELLO!” I always appreciate when visiting a coffee shop, the staff makes you feel welcome. To me, this is one of the most important aspects that sets different coffee shops apart from each other. If you enter a coffee shop and don’t even get a warm “HELLO” that tells me they don’t care about their customers, and what is going to make them care about the cup of coffee you are about to order? It doesn’t feel the same when you enter a coffee shop, and it's extremely quiet. Not even a warm “HELLO” of acknowledgment that you are there.
“Karen York” (Founder of Spencer’s Place) had a wonderful mission in mind when starting this coffee shop. This mission helps those in need with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They offer job training, and direct skill development to earn a paycheck, build relationships, and gain a sense of purpose as they show the community the beauty of diversity and inclusion. To learn more, CLICK HERE and head over to their website.
So now that you are familiar with some of the background behind Spencer’s Place, and the wonderful mission they have in place, let's talk some about coffee. You all know that I am a fan of Cold Brew, so you know what I had to try! They had several options for Cold Brews! They had a “Regular Cold Brew,” Nitro Cold Brew,” & a “CBD Cold Brew!” They all were very delicious with lots of flavors, but to rate them from best to worst, I think I would have to go with the Regular Cold Brew 1st, CBD Cold Brew 2nd, and the Nitro Cold Brew 3rd.
The regular cold brew had the most flavorful notes, was the least acidic, and tasted very smooth. The CBD Cold Brew tasted like the regular Cold Brew, but I have to say I tasted a slight bit of sweetness. This sweetness was faint, but it gave it a slightly different flavor compared to the Regular Cold brew. Now the Nitro Cold Brew was my least favorite. If you are looking for a strong cup of iced coffee, the Nitro Cold Brew would be just that. The biggest reason why I didn’t like it, was because of the bitterness. It appears the nitrogen gave it a slight bitterness, pushing out some of the flavors with it. I like my coffee to be flavorful and smooth, and the Nitro Cold Brew just didn’t have those attributes.
The second day I visited this coffee shop on our 2-week vacation, I wanted to try the traditional “Americano!” I know that American is so traditional, but I often find that they have a lot of flavors. I have to say I was very impressed with the Americano. A lot of the time when I order an Americano from Coffee Shops, they will be watered down, and not have much flavor, but this one was the best one I had yet. Full of flavor, it tasted delicious with the amazing cinnamon roll I had to go with it. If you are looking for something that will make you happy, try some coffee & a cinnamon roll from Spencer’s Place! It will cheer you up and put a smile on your face.
During the 2-weeks I was in Surprise, I visited Spencer’s Place quite a few times, getting to know the staff there, and enjoying all their delicious drinks. The 3rd & 4th time I went there, I got an “Iced Chai Tea Latte,” & a “White Chocolate Mocha!” I enjoy Chai Lattes occasionally. To be honest, I have not yet found a chai latte that has tasted worse, or better than the first. They all seem to have the same flavor of Cinnamon & Nutmeg. Maybe someday I will come across a coffee shop that makes their chai tea lattes different than everyone else, and it will be the best in the world.
As for the White Chocolate Mocha, I was extremely impressed with the deliciousness it had. Some coffee shops seem to have problems with putting very little flavoring in each drink to conserve the amount of flavoring they use. I think I can speak for all that more flavoring in a coffee drink is better than not enough. Those at Spencer’s Place did an amazing job at giving you the flavor you need in your cup of coffee. They went up and beyond to create a cup of coffee that had good flavor, and you could taste the delicious flavors.
With all their drinks and pastries, Spencer’s Place has a wonderful space for seating, they have a beautiful couch for those who may be looking for more of a relaxing coffee shop visit. If you are traveling and visiting the Surprise, Arizona area, I highly recommend you stop at Spencer’s Place! If you are in the area and are looking for a quiet place to work, head on over to Spencer’s Place! They are a whole lot of space, and a whole lot of options for drinks, pastries, and fun! Even if you don’t like coffee, I recommend you stop in and say “HELLO,” to their wonderful staff. Show them your support for all the great things they are doing for those in the community, and out in the world.
I would like to take this time now to say a big Thank You to Karen for letting me write this blog post about their Coffee Shop! Spencer’s Place is truly an inspiration, and it is wonderful to see those doing good out in the world. I want all of you that are reading this to have the opportunity to have a wonderful coffee experience at Spencer’s Place just as I did, so if you are ever near Surprise Arizona, make sure you stop in! I know they would love to see you.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog post! I hope this post was helpful, and if it was, be sure to like this post, comment, share it with your friends, and check me out on my social platforms. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, & Pinterest @dreamcabincoffee
Grab your cup of coffee and enjoy your wonderful day!