24-Hour Coffee Shops

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I want a good cup of coffee in the middle of the night and I’m feeling too lazy to do it myself. I could go to a gas station or a 24-hour diner or fast food restaurant. Let’s be honest. With some exceptions, the coffee that comes from these establishments leaves a lot to be desired. Once and for all, I would like to go to a coffee shop that's around the clock, producing great coffee for anyone who wants it. The other places might serve coffee. Coffee is not their obsession though. I want to go to a place that's obsessed with coffee.

It’s beyond me why Starbucks or some other national coffee chain hasn’t jumped on this and at least opened a few locations that never closed their doors. Between night owls and people who were going in for a late shift, 24-hour coffee places would have a good customer base. I understand that a lot of people are in bed after 9 pm, which is when most major coffee places close. Not everyone is in bed though. I know I’m not in bed.

Starbucks would be lying if they said they wouldn’t do great business in the wee hours of the morning. Granted, most locations do open their doors at 5:30 am or so. While this time is all well and good, it leaves a majority of each day uncovered. I guarantee that the line would be around the block if Starbucks decided they wanted to go into the all-night coffee business. After all, they’re starting to serve wine and beer. A majority of wine and beer drinkers do not go to bed early.

I will give some shops credit. They have taken up the mantle of serving coffee to the late night crowd. These place include Shore North Coffee House in Columbus, Ohio, Ava Roasteria throughout Oregon, and E’s 24 Hour Café in Memphis, Tennessee. The fact that these were the only places I could come across after performing a thorough search is a shame. I’m sure that I am missing a few and I would happily accept being proven wrong in this regard.