Coffee options brewing in Las Vegas

Max Jacobson

Wednesday, April 3, 2002 | 8:26 a.m.

The ever-growing coffee market is undergoing both subtle and overt changes in the Las Vegas Valley, resulting in more options than ever for local coffee fanciers.

Jitters Gourmet Coffee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Seattle's Best Coffee and the ubiquitous Starbucks are among those providing the action locally, with such new companies as It's A Grind, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., trying to edge in.

Las Vegas-based Jitters, with eight stores in the valley and one in Arizona, is doing something quite different at its Warm Springs Road and Green Valley Parkway location. Jitters has recently opened a stylish new coffee bar, which it calls its "New Groove," in a separate part of that facility.

If the experiment proves to be successful, more of the same will be on the way.

The idea is to make the location more of a hangout. One side of the room is decorated with a long, marble coffee bar, San Francisco-themed murals and cafe tables. Coffee on this side of the room is served in crockery, as opposed to those Styrofoam to-go cups, and refills are free.

In addition, there is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evening and a special Sunday brunch menu. Friday is karaoke night. Saturday, there is a comedy night featuring local performers. The concept, said an assistant manager, is to get people to linger, just as they would in a '60s- style coffeehouse.

Jitters is already an innovator with regard to menu items. This is the only coffee chain that serves food such as soups, salads and sandwiches, and what is probably the widest variety of pastries and bakery items of any coffeehouse in the area.

In that sense, it is already ahead of the game in its approach to keeping the clientele lingering many people eat light lunches at these locations. Jitters features light-roasted house coffee every day, a house blend more robust, and a flavor of the day. Coffees start at $1.50 for a 12-ounce cup; a small espresso runs $1.30.

The new kid on the block is the very good Los Angeles import, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. This chain has five stores already open, one scheduled to open soon, and five more under development, according to area developer Jeffrey Fine. Locations currently open are at The Wynn Collection, in the food courts at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino and Palms, at the C Gates at McCarran International Airport, and on the corner of Lake Mead Boulevard and Tenaya Way.

Another is going to open in early June, across from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Maryland Parkway.

Every store features a traditional, dark decaf and flavored coffee that changes daily. A 2-ounce, double-roasted espresso is $1.25. Coffees start at $1.65. Coffee is also sold in bulk at varying prices.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf features such pastries as the Butterfinger brownie, and also the company's rare-tea selection, called Gold Line. These are such premium teas as Prime Darjeeling, Gold Tip Assam and Formosa Oolong.

Seattle's Best Coffee can be found at all Coast Resorts properties and the Plaza downtown. The company started 40 years ago in Seattle's Pike Place Public Market, at the other end of the market from a chain called Starbucks, which was then also starting out.

The price point at SBC is roughly the same as the competition. A 12-ounce, no-refill cup costs $1.35, and the specialty drinks, such as cappuccinos and lattes, begin at $2.75. One of the best new drinks is milk-chocolate latte. There is a nice selection of pastries, too, such as a chocolate-coated rice crisp square from Selma's, a local bakery.

It's A Grind, meanwhile, opened a store on Anthem Village Drive this week. The company has 80 stores in five states. Plans to open five more stores by the end of the year were announced recently.

Finally there is Starbucks, the industry giant, which just keeps rolling along with its 45 Southern Nevada locations. This company, it seems, has much going for it, especially for those who prefer a slightly burnt coffee-bean taste.

The early spring catalog, stocked with coffees, teas, gifts and coffee accessories, is available online at Starbucks.com.

Every Starbucks carries a large stable of rotating coffees and Tazo teas. Prices remain competitive: Espresso drinks start at $1.45, and a 12-ounce coffee is $1.40, while those specialty coffees, made with milks and syrups, begin at $2.50. But before pulling out that extra dollar, remember that CEO Howard Schultz once remarked that "milk is profit," in the coffee business.

Adding half-and-half, milk or skim milk to coffee is no extra charge, no matter which one of these coffee bars is patronized.

Competition has never been hotter in the local coffee market.