Fair Trade Cafe (Downtown Civic Space Location)

In the movies, not every sequel has the same tone and feel as the original. "The Empire Strikes Back" was darker and had a more ambiguous outcome than the original Star Wars movie. In a romantic vein, "Before Sunset" occurred in 90-minutes of daylight real time rather than in the longer stretch of twilight and darkness of its predecessor "Before Sunrise." The point in both cases was that characters and situations carried over from one film to another, but the mood was deliberately different. Something like that seems to have occurred on the Downtown coffee house circuit when Fair Trade Cafe, one of the veterans in the area's rapidly expanding cafe culture, recently opened its second location less than a half mile from its original (and still operating) site at Roosevelt Square. Both Fair Trades share the same commitment to fighting poverty through conscientious consumption, but the two locations differ a great deal in terms of atmosphere and appearance.

The newer location is in the basement of the A.E. England building, an historic structure recently reopened by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department next to the Downtown Civic Space, a new park for the core of the city and the nearby ASU Downtown Campus. The England building was originally an auto dealership, among the first in Phoenix. Ironically, it's now a crucial part of a park that has no parking lot and is intended to be reached on foot, by bike, or via bus or light rail at the adjacent Central Station. The England building is now used for all sorts of special events and changing art displays, but the below-ground coffee house, which actually opens onto an extensive patio, is a permanent use, one presumably designed to draw traffic to the park between major events and create a more lively atmosphere. Despite being below ground, it's a much more open and sunny location than its sibling to the north. While Fair Trade Roosevelt Square can feel cluttered, Fair Trade "Park," as staff call it, is sparse and airy.

In fact, the minimalist approach led to some initial criticism of the new location. Since then, the cafe has added some more comfortable seating inside. Even so, the complaints seem to discount the outdoor space, which is absolutely the highlight of the new location. Does it really matter if there isn't a lot of interesting art on the walls inside when it's possible to enjoy an attractive outside space framed on two sides by a gentle waterfall? The patio feels sunny, but it's also generously shaded, making it endurable throughout much of the summer. Another observation about this space has been that the metal patio furniture is not conducive to lounging. True, but think for a moment about the clientele of this shop. Many of the customers are likely to be ASU Downtown students who want an alternative to the Taylor Place Starbucks. They're likely to be stopping in between classes or grabbing something on the way to or from the train. At the same time, it's an unspoken rule of Downtown parks that they need to be comfortable, but maybe not too comfortable, lest they become, in the words of Obi-wan Kenobi, "a wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Accepting Fair Trade "Park" as an outdoorsy cafe rather than as a lounge, it's possible then to focus on the drinks and the food. Both are essentially the same as at the Roosevelt Square location. The standard coffee drinks are all present and accounted for. Most are competent renditions of the usual suspects: lattes, cappuccinos, tea, etc. There aren't a lot of signature concoctions here, but the toddy brewed iced coffee is a nice alternative during the hot months. The baked goods are reasonably good; as at the other location, the banana bread stands out. There's also a limited selection of wraps and light lunch items. Just as the original location, the draw here is not so much distinctive beverages and snacks not found elsewhere, but more the commuter convenience of the address and the satisfaction that some customers derive from the principles under which the shop operates. Nothing is wrong with either as a business strategy.

After a rough start, Fair Trade has addressed some issues that complicated its opening and now seems to be a functional coffee shop in proximity to both ASU and the Central Station transit center. Still, there are still some details needing to be worked out, most notably the wifi. Staff now routinely tell customers to borrow ASU's signal from across the street. Hours at the new location are roughly similar to Roosevelt, except that the Civic Space shop closes earlier on Sundays and opens an hour later everyday. Next door is the Fair Trade Store, a boutique selling handcrafted fair trade gifts from around the world. It's worth checking out before or after a latte. Fair Trade may feel different at each location, but with the two coffeehouses so close to each other, that's probably a good development. Sometimes, the sequel needs to stand apart from the original.

424 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004 Map
(602) 253-6912
http://www.azfairtrade.com/