“Hear that?… It’s quiet. But the sound of the generator is all that’s missing.”
After nearly a year of serving customers under the scorching Tucson sun in their bright red trailer, the Tucson Coffee Cricket is set to open a location without wheels at 5151 E. Broadway Blvd. Beginning Monday, August 7 at 7 a.m., the former food truck will be nestled in the main lobby of a building kitty-corner from its original location (outdoors in the lot near the corner of Broadway and Rosemont),
One of the biggest perks of moving into the lobby at the only east side high-rise: the building is air-conditioned.
“Our regulars were coming for iced Ube Lattes and homemade lemonades as the summer came into full swing, but the heat really limited our generator-powered services being able to operate in July,” said Suzi Becker, owner of Tucson Coffee Cricket. “We’re hoping that opening right across the street from our original location will help our regular commuting customers stay cool, while also serving people who want to sit and relax in the lobby or patio with a delicious drink.”
Opened in October of 2022, the Tucson Coffee Cricket offers traditional and customized coffee drinks, tea concoctions, and homemade lemonades in company with products from local bakers Novia’s Bakery, Ube Bae Desserts, and Cal’s Bakeshop.
As their name suggests, they also offer their own eco-friendly, protein-packed pastry option — scones made with cricket flour. Cricket flour is exactly what it says it is: crickets raised in sustainable cricket farms are milled into versatile flour.
The Coffee Cricket utilizes it as a replacement for 25% of the regular flour used in the scone. This unique edible, crafted locally by Strawberry Hedgehog Bakery, provides an ethically derived source of protein, B vitamins, fiber, and fatty acids without altering the flavor whatsoever. Cricket scones are offered alongside traditional flour pastries from Tucson-only bakeries in support of the local economy.
However, the interesting eco-conscious scones are only half the story.
The Tucson Coffee Cricket is best known for its drinks, including the Ube Latte, Triple-C Cold Brew (the C’s being cardamon, cinnamon, and clove), and refreshing iced teas using loose teas and concentrates from Tucson’s own, Maya Tea Company.
New menu items will be dropping for the indoor location in the next few weeks, with an expanded menu planned for both indoor seating and customers on-the-fly.
The new location will officially open Monday, August 7 at 7 a.m. at 5151 E. Broadway on the northeast corner of Broadway and Rosemont. Business hours will be 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday – Friday. For more information, follow Tucson Coffee Cricket on Instagram.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
