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Dancing Goats
Dancing Goats is one of the newer cafes to open in Tacoma. Post COVID coffee is hitting downtown Tacoma in waves and it’s got a few more surprises but Dancing Goats finally making its way to Tacoma is huge. First opened in our state capital Olympia, WA in 1988 it’s very much a heritage brand to WA although in an effort to scale the business it was moved to Atlanta to grow the roasting side of the company early on in the 90’s. It’s actually pretty cool they are just entering the Tacoma area. There’s something to be said about waiting for the right time and focusing on what makes sense until an attractive opportunity presents itself. And the Brewery Blocks is that opportunity. Their location at the entrance and next to the neighborhood signage is definitely an advantage. But their own branding is eye-catching and brightly colored as well.
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My first interaction with their product was not at the cafe but during a South Sound Mag Best of the Best event at Chambers Bay. They had a vendor's table with their coffee and a hospitable server. The server clearly worked for the company for quite some time, they were informative about both the coffee and the company. I mentioned I saw they were open but hadn’t been able to drop in and they topped off a great first impression with a free coffee card. It was a 10/10 customer service experience and it only piqued my curiosity about where the brand began and how it flourished for decades before entering the bigger city next door. Not only do they have several locations in Georgia, Atlanta specifically, but they have also opened up tasting rooms and a training facility in St. Petersburg, Florida for roasting coffee beans.
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The Dancing Goats Brewery Blocks location is impressive. They developed a very spacious and open floor plan with plenty of seating and sleek concrete floors. There are multiple bar seating areas; there’s one at the end of the pick up counter and another on the far wall. But my favorite are the separated lounge areas, the furniture is a bit more eccentric, you’re surrounded by art and the Dancing Goat custom wallpaper is such a nice detail it has to be mentioned. They really spared no expense on the buildout and it shows from the furniture to the fun circular lighting, down to the thin granite countertops with hexagon tile base, the beautiful blue mosaic-esque splash wall and the custom logo art on the wall. It’s a lovely place to grab a solo cup of coffee or to take an in person meeting. Outdoor seating is available for those warmer days and its location makes it easy to go from working through the morning with coffee to popping next door for a slice from Camp Colvos and a brew.
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In addition to the customer service and the beautiful atmosphere the product is special. The coffee both decaf and caffeinated, has a bold and delicious flavor. It shows that they have tenured experience in roasting coffee. Anytime there’s a beverage special - try it. One of my first times visiting I tried the advertised beverage on their A-frame sign, a lavender speciality drink that not only perked me up but the smooth blend of espresso and lavender stayed with me far into the afternoon until my lunch meeting. Since then I keep an eye out for concoctions that have flavor profiles I enjoy and make an effort to try them while I can. It’s boutique roasted coffee at a larger scale than most of us are used to seeing and it's from right here in the Puget Sound. Fingers crossed tightly we see them continue to grow in their region of origin with the ability to stay as sustainable and eco-friendly facing as they have been to this point.
2102 Commerce Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: 253 -292 -1530
Hours: Mon.-Fri: 7AM-5PM | Sat.-Sun.: 8AM-4PM
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Make It To The Show: Punx in the Woods Fun-Raiser
Punx in the Woods Fun-Raiser | Saturday, April 22In a world where we sometimes find ourselves dancing around saying what we mean, the Punx in the Woods Festival not only says its idea on its face, but invites you to come on in and make some mayhem in the woods you might not have felt free to do back home. Over the course of Labor Day weekend – Friday through Sunday – all sorts of decibel-testing acts will be letting their freak flags fly in a national forest.If we want to get there, though, we’d better lube the gears of this endeavor by seeing shows like this one, raising funds for Punx in the Woods by featuring some of the Pacific Northwest's best and brightest bands, old and new talent that want to slash and burn their way into the foundation of local rock.
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Meet The Band: Denial Of Life
There hasn't been too many bands in recent memory to burst on to the scene quite like Denial of Life. Composed of Logan Miller on guitar, Brenna Gowin on vocals, Nicky Cody on drums, and Spencer Russo on bass, the band formed in 2019 and hit the ground running quickly releasing a demo and playing shows around Tacoma. I feel lucky to have been able to witness one of the first ones. Since then the band has shown no signs of slowing down even in the face of a global pandemic. I caught a DOL show this summer and the live shows have grown so much since I last saw them. They bring arena rock energy to a hardcore show and nowhere is that more apparent than their debut full length. No Reason was released August 13th and has quickly elevated the profile of the band. Since then the band has completed a full North American tour as well as a killer in studio performance on what most would consider hardcores biggest youtube channel, hate5six. I had the pleasure of speaking with Logan from the band to get a little more insight into how they got started, what they've been up to and where they wanna go next!
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Umi Wagoner’s Tacoma: Croissant Crescendos
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