Grace here! We’re headed back east after having made it as far west as Sedona and witnessed our favorite sunsets to date. Arizona most definitely takes the cake when it comes to sunsets.
We now find ourselves in Albuquerque, New Mexico sitting in a hip coffee shop called Zendo (http://zendocoffee.com). We kept our coffee orders simple today. Evan got light roast drip coffee and I went with a simple iced coffee. Sadly enough, this place is out of coffee ice cubes today so water cubes it is. What a genius idea right? Coffee ice cubes to keep your iced coffee strong. I like.
The walls inside this structure are white brick, adorned with local art. And strewn around the room are large painted wooden tables for remote workers seeking a nice spot of coffee and some wifi. There’s a nice buzz in this place on this mid-Monday and it seems this city is prepped and ready for a zendo coffee fix.
Zendo brews locally roasted coffee using beans from around the country and they pride themselves in the diverse community that flows through their doors. They claim to care about two things; coffee and people - certainly two things anyone would be happy to hear their local coffee shop in passionate about. An environment that anyone will feel comfortable in has been purposefully and thoughtfully created. To prove it, they serve tea as well - this coffee shop isn’t just for coffee lovers. They also have mini strawberry covered sprinkle donuts for littles, but I want one so you tell me who they’re really there to lure in…
We’ve found a nice work spot here for a few hours. I’ve come to think coffee shops across the country are a great way to dive into local culture. If Zendo is my means to getting a read on this city, it tells me diversity and creativity are valued in this section of Albuquerque and that everyone is welcome.