Something fresh is baking at acclaimed Phoenix coffee shop

For Moxie Coffee Co.‘s first couple of years, a roaster and burlap sacks of beans occupied the back of the airy Uptown cafe. But as Moxie’s notoriety grew for unique, expertly brewed cups of coffee sourced from farms in Guatemala, Colombia, Ethiopia and other corners of the world, owner Matt Heltzel needed more space for his roasters. He moved the roastery to Phoenix’s warehouse district last year. 

Other cafe owners may have used the reclaimed space for more seating. No one could have blamed Heltzel, especially over the fall, when coffee nerds swarmed his 16th Street shop after it bagged a gold medal in the Global Coffee Awards. 

Yet, he’d already set to work on a new project for Moxie: a bakery focused on Nordic-inspired pastries and breads. Bakes with northern European flavors nod to nostalgic treats Heltzel ate growing up in South Dakota.

“I’m just in love with pastries and coffee,” Heltzel says. “It’s mostly about making things that we all feel really excited to have and share.”

Ryne Spracale, a chef and baker who most notably worked with Claudio Urciuoli at Pa’La and then Source, leads Moxie Bakery. Spracale got some practice baking Swedish-style treats while working with Urciuoli, whose wife hails from the Scandinavian country.

Spracale was a regular at the coffee shop and got to know the Moxie team by bringing in loaves he’d baked at Source or at home.

One day, Spracale walked into Moxie for coffee and instead struck up a conversation with Heltzel about the fate of the cafe’s back corner. When Heltzel asked Spracale if he’d consider running the bakery, he didn’t hesitate.

“Being able to work here is still a dream come true,” Spracale says while sitting in the bustling cafe.

Moxie Bakery started out small — very small — while the roastery space transformed into the mini bakeshop. Spracale made citrusy cardamom buns and cookies on a 4-by-2-foot prep table and baked them in a tabletop oven that Heltzel affectionately called their “Easy Bake Oven.”

The build-out took longer than planned. For months, construction sheeting formed a curtain around the space, altering the sleek vibe of the modern cafe. But the newfound notoriety from the coffee award helped push Moxie Bakery over the finish line. 

“That outpouring of sales and support basically helped us fund that whole thing,” Heltzel says.

What to try at Moxie Bakery

The sheeting came down just in time for Moxie’s fifth anniversary in May. Behind a tiled pony wall with a stone drink rail and a glass guard, Spracale and his team of three bakers mix, knead, laminate and bake. 

“I like the connection of people being able to see what we’re doing,” Spracale says.

The lineup of breakfast pastries features Nordic classics such as cardamom buns and squiggly saffron buns, along with patisserie staples including plain, chocolate and ham-and-cheese croissants; sweet and savory danishes; kouign-amann; nutty bostock; and cookies. 

“I’m really truly about classics, basics and traditions,” Spracale says.

The baker made one notable departure from tradition by adding white corn flour to the dough of Moxie’s demi baguettes.

“I think it’s kind of special in there for the flavor and the aroma of it,” Spracale says. “It’s a small throwback to the history of Arizona as well.”

Now, customers are lining up for more than coffee. During busy weekend days, the bakery team makes about 200 pastries and loaves, and often sells out around noon. Moxie’s bread is also showing up outside the bakery. The downtown Phoenix all-day cafe Matilda’s uses its baguettes, and those loaves could be in more restaurants in the future.

“Intrinsically, I think for myself, I want to supply restaurants with bread,” he says. “Hopefully that can grow out of what we’re doing at Moxie.”

Though space at the small bakery is tight, Spracale and Heltzel say there’s room to grow. They hope to take on a few more bakers this fall, and Spracale plans to add more breads to the bakery’s lineup, particularly rye and whole-wheat. The baker describes the depth of flavor of those grains as on par with coffee or wine. 

Moxie’s team will use those breads for toasts, sandwiches and Danish-style smørrebrød topped with pickled vegetables, fruits or jams. The duo aims to launch those additions at the start of 2027. It’s part of a progression of Moxie that Heltzel has dreamed about for years.

“We’re a coffee bar first,” he says. But he acknowledges his favorite cafes also feature food. “It feels a little more grown up and developed.”

Moxie Coffee Co.

4626 N. 16th St., #101