Peet’s Coffee

“I am a coffee fanatic. Once you go to proper coffee, you can’t go back. You cannot go back.” ~ Hugh Laurie

If you have read my blog you know what a coffee fiend I am. From Starbucks, to Frontside in NoCo to Cafe Jax in the Concrete Jungle. Coffee is a language I not only speak, but I have a deep understanding and respect for. Which is why I was so flipping excited to not just be returning to California, but to be able to once more indulge my taste buds in the deliciousness that is Peet’s Coffee.

One of my fondest memories from my previous trip to the Golden City was going to the Ferry Building daily, getting a snack at Mariposa and then grabbing coffee at Peet’s before making my way outside to gaze at the Bay Bridge. It was perfection.

One I couldn’t wait to experience again.

My aunt had since moved in the six years I was last there (twice actually) and she was no longer close to the Ferry Building. Which was not a problem since Peet’s is the West Coast version of Dunkin Donuts.

But oh so much better!

Peet’s was founded in 1966 by Alfred Peet in the San Francisco Bay area and was actually used as a model for the founders of Starbucks. In fact Peet’s use to sell their coffee beans to Starbucks in the beginning years. As my aunt fondly tells me there is quite the competition between Starbucks and Peets. Which is why I found it so amusing that the Peet’s we kept going to was just two stores down from a Starbucks.

Peet’s is one of the first chain coffee houses to offer a diverse selection of darker roasts, roasted beans, as well as drip coffee. Sorry Starbucks, but while it has stayed mostly West Coast, it is one of the founders if not THE founder in the US of specialty coffee houses.

While I can definitely see where Starbuck’s got it’s decor influence from, with small coffee tables, and a darker cozier interior, Peet’s has a more laid-back feel whilst still knocking out lattes like nobody’s business.

Peet’s has also stayed true to it’s coffee roots. Each store showcases its specialty beans, and are ready to be ground up to your liking. While it does offer snacks, it is strictly coffee and tea. Where so many coffee houses have altered to make more money, Peet’s is a purist in the true sense.

I loved going there every morning with my friend and sitting at the bar people watching and catching up. While Californians tend to sleep in, I could always count on Peet’s to be hopping with those itching for the java. Yet, unlike New Yorkers who tend to be cranky before getting that first jolt, Peet’s even at seven in the morning had a festive happy flare.

I literally could have spent hours there sipping coffee and writing.

Thankfully I am in luck. Peet’s has a partnership with MasterCard, and at their corporate  building in Union Square there is a Peet’s shop! While it doesn’t have the California vibe that I have come to love, it definitely will hit the spot when I am craving a Havanna Cappuccino by the one and only Peet’s.

I know one lovely amazing blogger who shares my obsession with Peet’s but has anyone else tried it? What is your favorite coffee shop?