Showtime Cafe

Showtime Cafe sits inside a red brick industrial warehouse at 2431 E Van Buren St. As you approach it, a fantasy-like creative mural painted on the right portion of the building creates a striking contrast against the rustic red brick and main entrance on the left.

Showtime Cafe operates out of There Space, a screen printing studio and performance venue, in conjunction with Showtime, a Phoenix film club. It is a hybrid arts and coffee model rather than a standalone coffee shop. And it works. Before this became the creative space it is today, the building had a very different life. I will get there in a moment.

Step inside and you are walking into a revived slice of Phoenix heritage. Midcentury manufacturing blends into modern community culture. The history breathes through the old brick. You can feel it. Inside is a vibrant lounge with colorful art, funky decor and visual surprises everywhere. It is the kind of room where you lose track of time without realizing it.

The coffee beans come from Novela, a small batch local roaster. The espresso is a blend of naturally processed coffees from Colombia and Brazil. The cold brew is a Huila Colombia single origin. Here is the thing... I chase bright, fruity, lighter roasted cups. That is my espresso thing. The beans here lean a bit darker. I was bracing for a mismatch.

Then I tasted the latte.

A strong baker's chocolate foundation came out with faint berry characteristics underneath. The whole milk softens some of the fruit notes from the Colombian coffee but the chocolate base is the star. I actually enjoyed it. Now that is a real compliment coming from someone who usually chases brighter cups.

Hot lattes are one size only. That is all. And that is the point. Regular readers know what that signals to me. It usually means the shop has dialed in the exact ratio between the espresso pull and the milk volume so every cup is calibrated the same way. I am not a big fan of shops that offer three or four sizes of hot drinks. For me, multiple sizes can sometimes make it harder to maintain the same ideal balance from one cup to the next. Showtime gets it right. The baristas weigh the espresso shots on a scale (measuring both the grounds going in and the liquid coming out). That shows a true commitment to craft. The latte was balanced as expected.

No drip or filter coffee here so set your expectations. But the specialty menu is impressive, and that is where Showtime really gets creative. We ordered the Neon, a double shot espresso with raspberry and vanilla cheese foam. The creamy foam on top was rich and delicious. You can definitely taste the quality of the syrup and espresso. The foam was sweet. The espresso was clean. It worked. Cold and refreshing.

Here is a detail worth calling out. All the syrups are house made. Vanilla, honey, mocha, earl grey, agave, strawberry and maple brown butter. A good commitment to craft and a detail I always appreciate.

Matcha is a core category here and not a novelty. Besides the regular ceremonial grade matcha, the lineup includes Matcha Tonic, Matcha Lemonade and the signature S. Coppola. The S. Coppola is matcha, strawberry syrup and strawberry rhubarb in an iced-only format, which makes perfect sense. That is a good sign for anyone who takes matcha seriously.

On the food side, pastries come from Fiore, a local Phoenix bakery. The partnership keeps the pastry case stocked with something worth grabbing alongside the coffee.

The baristas are exceptionally friendly. That warmth fits naturally into a space built around community and creativity. In a hybrid arts space, coffee can sometimes feel secondary. Here, it is clearly treated as a serious part of the experience.

Now, the building. Long before barista calls and espresso grinders filled this room, the 1958 midcentury warehouse was manufacturing industrial paints and a local staple called Deer-O Salsa. After production stopped, the red brick building sat quiet and abandoned. It held onto its vintage charm in silence until a local collective called There Space pulled it out of its long sleep. They carefully restored the original exposed brick and towering industrial ceilings, transforming it into a multiuse arts haven.

There is a motto here: "the destiny will always be there." After sitting in that lounge with a properly balanced latte, I am starting to see what it means. Showtime Cafe is proof that a serious coffee program can thrive inside an arts collective. Go for the history, stay for the latte.