September 6, 2017
Eric Friedberg
Colorado Springs seems to love its coffee.
Local shop Loyal Coffee is proof with the second edition of their disloyalty card, which students can use to explore downtown through visiting other local coffee business.
Located at 408 S. Nevada Ave., Loyal Coffee seeks “use coffee as a catalyst to positively impact every community [they] interact with,” according to their website. The coffee shop, which is co-owned by six local baristas, opened last September.
Loyal Coffee announced the second edition of the disloyalty card on Aug. 14. The card encourages people to buy drinks at eight local coffee shops, including Switchback Coffee Roasters, Story Coffee Company, Urban Steam Coffee Bar and Cafe and more.
After the customer gets a stamp for each shop have been to, they can receive a free cup of coffee at Loyal Coffee. According to Tyler Hill, co-founder of Loyal Coffee and UCCS alumnus, a free cup of coffee is the customer’s reward for participating in the greater good of the community.
“The way we see things, if we’re the only ones to profit then we haven’t really succeeded and that’s not healthy for our community,” said Hill.
Hill said that Loyal Coffee does not want to compete against other coffee shops in the area. Instead, Hill wants to build the community and bring out the best of each business.
“We’re not threatened by the competition and really trying not to outdo other coffee companies; we love them and we’re encouraged by them,” said Hill.
“We just enjoy brewing coffee we love, for people we love, in the city we love.”
Hill’s passion for coffee started in his hometown, Salida, Colo., where he worked in local coffee shops.
After spending the past two and a half years building Loyal Coffee from the ground up, Hill and his team are will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the business in October.
“Loyal is the kind of place that’s very community-based. What’s exciting to me, is that if you come here a lot you get to feel like you are actually participating in the community,” said Hill.
Currently, there are no student discounts at Loyal Coffee. But Hill said that students who interact with Loyal Coffee staff and become a familiar face in the establishment may get a great deal from baristas who see them frequently.
“I really think people feel heard when they come here. They feel valued, they feel seen, they feel important and I think that goes way beyond the coffee,” said Hill.
For more information on the disloyalty card or Loyal Coffee, visit loyalcoffee.co.