When Scott Hinsch saw first-hand that his favorite coffee shop, Safehouse, had closed down, he knew needed to find a way to keep it open.
After daily visits for 10 years, there was no way he would throw away his many memories and friendships. As he had made a multitude of friendships built from getting his daily dose of coffee, he had high expectations that other customers would do the same.
Four years ago Hinsch changed his life completely when he bought the former coffee shop and gave it his own little twist.
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After selling his previously owned company, and gathering as much money as he could, Hinsch hoped all of his efforts to keep his safe haven alive would be worth it.
DW: What is your favorite part of owning Black Crown Coffee?
Scott Hinsch: My favorite thing about this place is by far the people. I can trace almost every friend I’ve ever had back to this building at some point.
What makes you stand out from other coffee shops in Tucson?
First and foremost, definitely atmosphere. There’s a lot of badass coffee shops in Tucson, I think this is the only one that has this kind of feel to it. We’ve got this dive bar thing going on and I love that. As far as coffee goes, that’s a tough one. I’d say something we have that no one else has is this massive, extensive secret menu.
What is your favorite drink to make?
To make, cappuccinos.
What do you like best about making them?
I think cappuccinos done right are the best display of a baristas ability. You have to have your milk perfect, your proportions perfect, your shots perfect, and you can’t hide it in anyway.
Does Black Crown have a lot of regulars?
Oh yeah.
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What is your favorite drink? Well you know, I am really boring when it comes to drinking coffee myself. I like iced Americanos with less than an inch of water and ice at the top. It’s as bland as you can get but I drink four or five of them a day.
Do you have a favorite memory since you opened?
Maybe the great fire of 2013. That was where someone thought our old air conditioning unit was on fire because they looked in and saw the fan heating up, so they sprayed a fire extinguisher into the air conditioning, which then shot out of every single vent in the entire building. We had to close and clean it all up.
Or our video game tournament—that was a blast. We had an N64 video game tournament. We had 50 people show up, we gave out trophies, gift cards, and awards.
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