fig® - Downtown Lancaster

I was inspired after reading my latest copy of FIG to check out the food and drink of downtown so in my latest adventure downtown I visited Square One.    I have visited this spot before but getting to talk to owner Jess (Josh was home with the kiddos!) and really learn about this spot on Duke Street was a real treat.  I learned A LOT and can’t get it all in this post but I will share some of the things I think are important to know .

One of the first things Jess told me is that at Square One “coffee is the star-everything else is a side item”  This shows in the passion that Jess and Josh put into every aspect of their business. They recently painted the store—after four years of owning it! As much as Jess says they wanted to do it, they were more focused on the coffee.  This is not just a “day job” for them–from the small roasted batches (15 lb batches/roast, not 300 like the chains), dumping and rebrewing every 30 minutes, and extensive taste testing before something gets on the menu—their love of coffee really shows.

”The artisan aspect” makes them different than chain coffee places.  Jess explained this means the way they look at coffee is how many craft beers or microbrews look at beer—that’s their “thing”.  They don’t have a lot of food options here anymore because they realized it took away from what they wanted to be about—coffee!  They still have a selection of items to snack on and all food items are local.  How do they choose which items will make it then? Jess explained they look for people who specialize in their item, just like they do.

Each order is important to them and they buy quarterly from six or seven countries.  Jess and Josh want to travel directly to importers on quarterly trips with the plan to adopt a farm each year and feature it in the store.   This is just one of the things they hope to accomplish in the coming year—they are also looking at options to expand so stay tuned to their website for more information!  They will also continue their coffee education on their chalkboard.

(Coffee art by Steve)

Because “coffee is a culinary experience” Jess points out that shots of espresso are encouraged!

In closing, some advice—come in often to check out the new art that goes up each month (email them to find out how to be a featured artist!), see if they have the trophy from one of the monthly Thursday Night Throwdowns, or to taste one of the many varieties of in house roasted flavors!