Thump Coffee — Restaurant in Denver

We have wanted to try Thump Coffee and finally did.

The interior is large, with browns, black, hardwood floors (easy to keep clean, and it was), exposed wooden ceilings with exposed pipes. There is a large brick wall which runs behind the main counter. It's spacious, with nice music playing in the background. It can be loud inside, as there is nothing to absorb the noise, oh well. There is plenty of room to move around, as the tables are not right up against each other. The main entrance or store front, is all windows, letting in the wonderful Colorado sunshine.

When you enter the coffee shop, the counter to place your order is not directly inside the door, which is very nice. You have to step inside the coffee shop, out of the weather. You get to stand and wait as there no chairs to sit on, to place your order. Luckily you are by the wall where their merchandise is displayed, just in case you would like to purchase a Thump coffee cup, or something else. You can't blame them for that. Once you place your order, you are given a number, which you place on your table. Your order is brought out to you, thus they have table service.

For seating, you may choose from 5 individual tables which seat 2-4 (maximum) people. The chairs are a hard black plastic. There are also 3 community tables which seat approximately 7-8 people each. These have high back chairs, with actual backs. There is also a bar at the counter, where you can see what is going on behind the counter. There is separate seating area with a couch and two comfy chairs in the back, a nice place to relax with friends. Outdoor seating is available. There is no wifi on Saturdays or Sundays, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Condiments - I like sugar and creamer in my coffee. I also like having a spoon as well. After getting our coffee, I went to the "condiments area," for lack of a better term. The sugar was about gone, there were no spoons, and the creamer was about empty. I made due with a straw to stir my coffee, as there also were no stir sticks. It was obvious no one was paying attention to this area. You will see why I put this in my review, towards the end.

One thing I did find rather strange, and maybe it's just my generation (but I'm not that old!), was that the restrooms were not labeled, and the location of the restroom sink. I walked to the back of the coffee shop, looking for the restrooms. I saw two doors on my right, without any signage. I looked to my left, and there was a separate vanity with a sink, soap, paper towels, and a mirror. Behind this, was storage for the coffee shop, as I could see boxes with various labels on them, or supplies for the shop. I was questioning if this was for patrons, or only employees, when one of the two doors behind me opened up, and a woman exited the room. I saw it was a restroom. I went in, and when I came out, I washed my hands at the separate vanity/sink. When I arrived back at our table, I told my husband to go look, and give me his opinion. He also found it strange. Why wasn't there a sink in each bathroom, like the majority of the restaurants, coffee shops, stores, around? Is this up to code? I don't know, I just found it really odd, and it's still bothering me, and it's about 4-5 days after our visit.

Parking- you must park on the street, which can be difficult, so you might have to walk a few blocks.

Menu - coffee, toasts, pastries.

Service - was good, nothing spectacular. I was able to watch the employees as we waited for our food, and after being served as well. It seemed like employees were there to do their job, work their shift, and then go home. I counted five employees behind the counter, along with two "cooks." I noticed that the "condiment area," was refilled once, and I was finally was able to get a spoon for our coffee. I know, it's a little thing, but little things add up to big things. It doesn't seem like there was a manager on duty, I could be wrong.

All in all, it was a good experience, but it's not my type...

Pros = A very friendly, knowledgeable, inspired, genuine, earnest, only-slightly ironic and semi-cliche staff; A good vibe (45% hipsters / 35% students / 10% book nerds / 4% sold-out professionals / 3% old people / 2% stroller-pushers / 1% guy in a blue baseball hat); Good music; Nice, natural light (with pleasantly direct sunlight on the southern side where terrace-level apartment dwellers can get their vitamin D); Simple / minimal design; Great restrooms, I mean GREAT... / exterior sink area; clean; Lots of outlets and free wi-fi; Beer; 'Fancy' coffee options; Breakfast burritos; Toast with chevre & honey; Entertaining mission statement; A few comfy couches; A 'Social-Area' for two...

Cons = Once in a while an order will get lost in the mix (it seems that the ordering process is continuing to be improved upon and refined); "YOU! Taking up three spaces with your backpack, books, notepad and tablet! This is a busy cafe! Don't take up someone else's seat with all your crap!"; The interior seems a little sterile. It's amazing what a few ferns can do to clean the air and improve atmosphere; The chairs, which apparently nobody tested before purchasing. The whole comfort situation could be vastly improved with a series of well placed foot rails. If you visit Thump, watch for people searching around with their feet for the slightest toe hold as something settle in against. A proper rail is needed at the bar and counters; A trash receptacle is needed by the dirty dish bin; Better menu signage (read LARGER FONT) is needed. I had someone ask me where I got my burrito...

Summary: Overall, Thump is an amazing place that won't weird you out like the Gypsy House Cafe or put you in fear of contracting bed bugs like Pablo's (only kidding). The staff is really a fantastic starting point for every experience. Let's hope that they never get burned out and continue to serve with verve and panache. It is mainly a screen-driven, technology hub, cafe receptacle which stores a server-like human collective. But, you'll also see a lot of genuine and candid human interaction taking place at the bar and social area. The neighborhood is very lively and the view out onto the street can be great for people watching. If they can ever build out a roof space, the...

Edit:

Second visit wasn’t as pleasant as the first unfortunately. I tried the “drip coffee” and it tasted pretty stale. In addition to this, the cup and lid were not fitted properly so the entire coffee just dripped out of the lid to the - I couldn’t drink it or even attempt to in my way to the airport. I’ve attached a picture but this is after attaching and reattaching it in an effort to remedy the issue. Something to consider when you have folks going to work, we shouldn’t be wearing our stale coffee in the process.

1st visit: Walked her as a first-timer for a first of the day coffee and it didn’t disappoint. Got an iced mocha latte.

General: Patient and friendly staff, nice atmosphere and reasonable prices.

I think the chatter at the register could be fixed when you have a line out the door. I noticed folks talking a lot at register creating longer service times- wild when you have 5+ people in line to grab coffee before a work day imo-I’m also a New Yorker and used to a different speed and efficiency. No breakfast food offered before 7:30 am was also tough, the area didn’t have many food choices and there wasn’t an option beyond pastries at the hour my day started despite this place opening very early.

Joined the rewards club and will definitely come back when I...