Urban Beans, the coffee shop on Seventh Street and East Osborn in Central Phoenix, has extended its hours all the way — to 24/7, every day of the week.
Virginia Senior, founder and pastry chef, says she made the decision because she thought Phoenix should have more late-night and all-night quality dining choices.
“It occurred to me that every world-class city that I’ve heard of has a 24-hour component,” Senior says. “I felt Phoenix was being underserved.”
Urban Beans launched its extended hours in the middle of August, and while Senior says she knew initially the café would have to make an investment, adds that the response from the community has really validated the extended hours.
“I truly believe in urbanism within a city,” Senior says. “We were finding that people just had no place to go.”
Senior says the extended hours aren't just for the late-night crowd or people out partying, but for those who work the late shift and even folks like cabbies and Uber drivers, who might start their day at 5 a.m.
“We are a 24-7 culture,” says Urban Beans marketing director Laura Durant. “While a lot of people have 9-to-5 jobs, a lot of people just don’t.”
She points out that Urban Beans has seen a lot of college students pulling all-nighters now that Arizona State University has extended downtown.
The cafe is serving full kitchen service with both its hot and cold menus all day and night. The espresso bar is now running 24 hours a day and full cocktail bar is open until 2 a.m. Durant says they have seen the typical morning, lunch and dinner rushes, plus a rush after 10 p.m., when most everything else in the area closes.
“We have a chess board and people are playing chess at 3 o’clock in the morning!” Senior says. “We are finding that it’s a different crowd, but it’s a crowd that wants community, good food, and a place to go.”
For more information,n visit the Urban Beans website.
