Now it’s adding coffee to the mix, adding a jolt of adrenaline to the early part of the day by launching Cup of Joe’s coffee cart just outside the doors of the 94941 landmark. Cup of Joe’s, named after co-owner Gabriel Leis’ inimitable late father Joe Leis, who founded Joe’s Taco Lounge in 1992, opened Wednesday.
“This is really exciting – we’re trying to do something really special with this,” Gabriel Leis says. “It’s something that I’ve thought about for a lot of years, and once we got through the tough period of the Streetscape Project, I really started working to make it happen.”
Leis says he’s done his homework in sourcing unique products that add the range of amazing coffee that’s already in Mill Valley. He’s getting his beans from Linea, the coffee roasting company founded by Andrew Barnett, a renowned figure in the coffee world who founded Ecco Coffee, which he later sold to Intelligentsia Coffee.
“It’s always been my favorite coffee – it’s just a different flavor profile,” says Leis, who previously lived in San Francisco’s Mission District, where Linea is located. “It’s more of a traditional Italian espresso. Coffee flavors have gone bitter and sour – his are a bit sweeter.”
While the beans, and the La Marzocco machine that helps turn them into tasty morning beverages, are the star of the show, Leis says he’s drawn from myriad other brands to fill out Cup of Joe’s offering. The cart itself was made by Carriage Works in Klamath Falls, Ore., pastries from Starter Bakery in Berkeley, bagels from Baron Baking in Oakland, and special barista milk from Straus Family Creamery.
Oh, and you bet your life that Joe’s wasn’t launching a coffee cart without serving up its very own breakfast burritos at it. “Yes, we’ll definitely have grab-n-go breakfast burritos,” Leis says.
The 411: Joe’s Taco Lounge has opened Cup of Joe’s coffee cart outside its doors, where it will be open every day from 6am-1pm, serving up coffee, pastries, bagels, breakfast burritos and much more. . In the case of inclement weather, it’ll be inside Joe’s and open 6am-11am. MORE INFO.