In the world of coffee, some places roast beans while others sling beverages, but few do both.
Arctos Coffee and Roasting Company has been blending the two and caffeinating the Logan neighborhood since 2018.
"We have a really great roaster, and I think that the way that he roasts — because we roast all of our beans in-house — he takes it very seriously and makes sure that the quality is nothing less than amazing. That really helps us be able to keep the same recipes all across the board all the time," Arctos manager Maddy Dean says.
There's nothing wrong with looking to an outside roaster like many other coffee shops do. Many of Spokane's most lauded cafes and drive-thrus take advantage of the wealth of quality roasters in our region, some even turn to Arctos to do the roasting. But by keeping the roasting in-house, Arctos is able to have complete control over the quality of the beans that they brew up on a daily basis.
"It makes our jobs a lot easier in the sense of consistency," Dean says.
After the roasting process, the beans are passed to the baristas, where the commitment to consistency continues. Every shot at Arctos is precisely weighed before being pulled. Meaning the "Logan Latte" you ordered on Monday will taste the same as the Logan Latte you order on Thursday.
Consistency and customer service are two pillars that have helped build Arctos into one of the Logan neighborhood's premier "third place" establishments.
"Third place" is a term coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg to refer to places like coffee shops where people can congregate and socialize that are outside the home ("first place") and work ("second place"). In the diverse Logan neighborhood, where Gonzaga students mingle with multigenerational Spokane families, and historic single-family homes sit down the block from multistory apartment complexes, Arctos provides an environment where all are welcome.
"There are a lot of different groups of people who come in all the time," Dean says. "Students use this place to just study, too. They don't just come in to get coffee."
Visually, it's easy to understand why.
Large glass, garage-style doors allow in plenty of warm morning light. In the afternoon, the patio space out front allows patrons to bask in the sun. Wood counters and shelves overflowing with plants are accented with vintage neon, and the shop's black mugs add to the cozy vibe.
The food menu includes staples like bagels, muffins and pastries, but there are also options for heartier appetites. "We have a couple of really good croissant sandwiches. One is a turkey with pesto. And then the other one is basically just a cheese croissant, so it's havarti cheese, and then we do raspberry jam on the other side," Dean says. "Then our hammy is our OG sandwich. We've had it forever. And we do a cheddar one, or we can do a pepper jack one."
Whether you're coming in for a cup of the on-site roasted Guatemalan, Colombian or the popular South American blend, or stopping by for a sandwich and some study time, Arctos strives to make sure people always know what they'll get, from the product to the service to the atmosphere.
"You'll walk into a very warm, inviting space," Dean says.
