Royal at the Market

Coffeehouses have been proliferating so quickly in Central Phoenix in recent months that it's almost necessary to have a scorecard to keep up with the changes. For Royal Coffee Bar, the score is mixed -- one loss, but offset by a big win at the same time. The back story: Royal Coffee Bar originally opened in 2006 on the ground floor of the Campaige Place apartment complex at Second Avenue and Jackson Street. Royal, along with its neighbor, Sweet Pea Bakery, was a bold attempt to inject a little life into the southwestern corner of Downtown, essentially a pocket of hidden from the rest of the city's center by the mammoth edifices of the criminal justice system. While there have been some impressive reuse successes in the nearby Warehouse district, the going has been rougher behind the jails and courthouses. Sweet Pea closed its retail business earlier in 2009, and its owner now bakes for Lola Coffee and still accepts custom orders. Royal followed by closing its original site half a year later.

That closure, although certainly a disappointment, was timed so as to minimize the caffeine withdrawal of Royal's fans, for it came just a few weeks after the opening of the new "Royal at the Market." Royal at the Market is a small coffee house inside the new Urban Market and Wine Bar, the indoor portion of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market and Phoenix's first downtown grocery in decades. The location is on Pierce Street, just three blocks south of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. There are two entrances. One is from the interior, allowing customers to flow in and out for a coffee break before or after shopping. The other door faces the vacant lot that comes alive every Wednesday and Saturday as the popular outdoor portion of the market. This second door is crucial since Royal is sometimes open when the Urban Market is not. Keep in mind that neither door is well-marked, though. The best way to find Royal from the outside is to look for the coffee roaster often parked near the door. From inside the market, look for the cylindrical "coffee sign" hanging from the ceiling near the ice cream.

On the inside, there's a small anteroom where the counter is located. Customers line up here to order and pay for drinks. There's a larger, although still modestly-sized, room to the rear for customers to use if they order drinks or baked goods "for here." The shop's unique design offers two options for seating. One says work. It's a series of narrow tables attached to the wall at one end and matched with metal stools. The other says lounge. A couch transplanted from the old Royal location gives the room a bit of comfort for customers who wish to linger. The overall look is streamlined and complements the bustle that the Urban Market hopes to attain as develops. To make things seem a little homier, the staff are happy to serve any drink in a real mug upon request.

The drink menu is restrained, with obvious emphasis on quality coffee roasted on the premises. The basics are all handled adroitly; espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, cafe latte, etc. are all just right in terms of coffee flavor, milk foam, etc. There's often a little latte art thrown in as a bonus, but this isn't the place to find unlimited bottles of sweet syrups to infuse a drink with every flavor imaginable. Instead, Royal concentrates on three flavors: mocha, caramel, and velvet. The first two are self-explanatory. The last is white chocolate with a double shot of espresso. Tea drinkers can choose among a about half a dozen loose teas or sachets. There's nothing exotic, but the basics of green and black teas are adequately represented.

Because Royal is operating in a space smaller than most Phoenix apartments, it doesn't have abundant food choices in terms of sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. Instead, look for a small display of baked goods near the cash register. They're generally baked each morning in the Urban Market's kitchen, though, so expect fresh treats like shortbread cookies or galettes instead of shrink-wrapped bagels and scones trucked in from elsewhere. The cookies are generous enough for two people to share or one person to take half home for later. Anyone in search of more choices can stroll into the adjacent Urban Market, which is continuing to expand its prepared food options.

Royal isn't trying to copy the atmosphere of other Central Phoenix coffee outlets, and it doesn't try to replicate the countless drink options found at ubiquitous Starbucks outlets. Instead, it's filling its own niche as a gathering place place for market shoppers, area residents, and Downtown enthusiasts. It's unfortunate that Royal has had to abandon its original location at the south end of Downtown, but at least the new location at the market places it near a nexus of foot traffic and a growing hub of activity. Anyone attempting to keep a Central Phoenix coffeehouse scorecard can count Royal at the Market as a net win for cafe culture in the heart of the city.

14 E. Pierce St., Phoenix AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 909-0826