Coffee. Ah, my drug of choice since earliest adolescence. It’s hard to imagine high school and college, cramming and reading late at night, without this caffeinated elixir. Caffeine is a wonder drug for many; it can snap us awake if we are driving and getting drowsy, enable us to do better in sports, and even cure headaches, not to mention its tendency to make us more talkative and outgoing. These and many more reasons inspire us to revere the bean.

     My personal love affair with coffee houses and espresso bars began in the mid 1990s, and my experiences were far from gourmet, since I grew up in a smallish city with nary an Italian cappuccino in sight. But I do clearly remember the thrill of finding myself in “another place”, a magical place in which people talked to strangers about interesting (and even controversial) things. Live music on weekend evenings was free, and the coffee was so much richer and stronger than what I could get at a restaurant or convenience store. I was hooked quickly, and spent much of my free time and paychecks in a few small shops near my college campus. Hmm, some things never change…

     I don’t remember exactly when I adopted the dream of having my own shop someday, but somehow the seed of hope took root within me and a part of me waited for the opportune moment. My boyfriend loved the coffee scene at least as much as I did, and when we later married we talked about someday opening a coffee shop of our own.

      Well, this is our dream becoming a reality. I can hardly believe that Crave is open to the people of Tucson and perhaps others who pass through. I am delighted to be able to nurture this concept into a living entity, and I can’t wait to see it grow and mature with the support of friends, family, and happy coffee lovers who make it their own hangout or pit stop during their busy days. We will have a drive thru for those who really need their buzz and need it in a hurry, but I hope everyone checks out the inside at some point, too. It is unique and colorful, and has already taken on an aura of its very own that even I could not have foreseen. We hope to serve some of the very best espresso you have ever tasted, and some of the tastiest house-made sweet treats to go with it. Welcome to Crave.

-Kim