“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.
