Ollie Vaughn's team opens new Phoenix coffee shop

A new coffee bar has entered Uptown Phoenix’s orbit. Ollie Vaughn’s owner, Lindsey Magee, opened Satellite Coffee Bar this week.

Magee’s latest concept is located inside Neighbor, a modern design-driven outdoor furniture store co-founded by Chris Lee, Nick Arambula and Mike Fretto.

Neighbor and Satellite Coffee Bar replace two previous concepts that called the space home. The building’s former tenant, furniture store For the People, hoped to capture consumers with a similar approach — first with Kream Coffee and later Skoden Coffee & Tea. Now, the shop on Central Avenue just north of Camelback Road will be filled with customers and the aroma of coffee once again.

Inside Neighbor, natural light floods the space. There are concrete floors and green potted plants placed between a spread of stylish outdoor furniture. It’s not a typical furniture showroom; there’s no pushy salesmen at the door and overall, the atmosphere is chill. You’ll want to settle in with a cappuccino and thumb through the latest issues of big architecture magazines.

It’s not enough just to sell stuff anymore — people want experiences. Consider this: Ralph Lauren has Ralph’s Coffee shops in New York, Europe and Asia. Gucci has a line of glamorous osterias that reach from Beverly Hills to Florence, Italy. And there’s the Prada Caffè in London.

In Phoenix, Neighbor is tapping into the designer-led trend, too, by offering their own unique shopping experience with Satellite Coffee Bar.

Neighbors and friends

Earlier this year, Magee wasn’t seriously thinking about opening another business, especially a coffee shop, although she mentions a dinner spot has been on her mind.

“Expanding always felt like it would be pulling away from the other space,” she says.

Magee is not like some restaurant owners who exist only on the periphery. Whether it's baking more than 100 holiday pie orders, taking care of building maintenance or covering shifts, Magee is essential to Ollie Vaughn’s day-to-day operations. The McDowell Road staple celebrated its 11th year in business this December.

“This fell in my lap,” she says.

Magee explains that her mom, a realtor, sold a house to Arambula. They stayed in touch as Arambula and the co-ownership team moved Neighbor from a warehouse space in the Phoenix Industrial District to its current digs on Central Avenue.

Arambula wanted to offer coffee within the showroom, and being familiar with Ollie Vaughn’s, floated the idea to her mom.

“I was like give me his number, I’m calling right now,” Magee says.

Magee lives in uptown and being close to the new concept eased some of her early hesitations.

“I started dreaming about how my day would look,” she says. “I drop my kids off at the bus stop, then come here to check in, get my coffee, see my best friend to make sure he’s doing great, and then head to Ollie Vaughn’s.”

Neighbor and Magee began collaborating on the coffee bar concept over the summer.

“It just made perfect sense,” she says.

Before Magee took the lead, the space was not equipped to support a full-service coffee bar. Previous coffee pop-ups (Kream Coffee and Skoden Coffee & Tea) held within the Neighbor space were operating within the limits of a food cart permit.

In a push to make the coffee bar more permanent, Magee reimagined the plumbing and had a reverse osmosis system installed. She also tapped multimedia artist Taylor Crockett to design and construct Satellite’s brick coffee bar.

The setup is relatively simple. There’s a white reach-in refrigerator stocked with Mexican Coke, Purely Sedona water and Big Marble Organics mixers that flanks the coffee bar. A long narrow table top with bar stools nestled underneath stretches across the front windows. There’s minimal seating outside — with more on the way. And if the seats are full inside, Magee mentions that she has Neighbor’s blessing to use the showroom furniture.

“It’s been really nice to have other people that have a stake in it,” Magee says.

New grounds

Magee is also supported by longtime Ollie Vaughn’s staff member and friend, Trey “Snipes” Moore, who started working for her as a dishwasher in 2017. Today, Moore plays a vital role in the coffee program and will oversee the day-to-day happenings at the coffee bar.

Satellite sources coffee beans from local coffee roasters Moxie Coffee Co. and Mythical Coffee. In the future, Moore says he wants to spotlight roasters outside of Arizona as well.

“I really want to feature roasters from all over the place that don’t get attention in Phoenix,” he says.

Satellite’s laidback tempo is a welcome change for Magee and Moore who are both used to the hustle-and-grind pace at Ollie Vaughn’s; most weekend mornings there’s a line that winds out the front door. The duo hopes the relaxed atmosphere will create more space for creativity.

“We get to take a little more time and be a little more hyper-focused,” Magee says.

Moore says he’s looking forward to bringing a “craft cocktail level of attention” to the drinks at Satellite. This approach comes through in the espresso offerings, which are available in two styles: "naked" and "dressed." A "naked" espresso offers a straightforward, classic shot perfect for purists. The "dressed" version comes with aromatic elements or edible garnishes to enhance the espresso's flavor profile.

Alongside their espresso and classic coffee drinks, Satellite features a cardamom dirty chai, a floral pistachio rose latte and an espresso tonic garnished with citrus wheels.

Magee and Moore are both particularly excited about their matcha, especially the strawberry version, made with grilled strawberries and ceremonial-grade Nekohama matcha powder from Japan.

“It's a hard thing to get your hands on, they're kind of picky about who they source to,” Moore says.

Although Satellite Coffee Bar does not have a kitchen, a short list of pastries and baked goods such as almond croissants, cinnamon rolls and coffee cake will be delivered to Satellite by way of Ollie Vaughn’s.

Prepare for launch

While the coffee spot quietly opened for business this week, Satellite Coffee Bar and Neighbor will host a joint grand opening event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

“We'll be giving away cookies and serving our coffee and drinks all day long,” Magee says.

Additionally, Ollie Vaughn’s chef Victor Vizcarra will be making breakfast burritos and sandwiches on the grill outside for the event.

“We're really looking forward to seeing everyone there,” Magee says. “It's going to be a fantastic way to start our new journey and celebrate our new space with the community."

Neighbor is also participating by offering giveaways, including $1,000 and $2,500 gift cards plus three of their signature Acorn Lanterns.

So, stop by for an espresso and sink into one of Neighbor’s stylish, sustainably-made sofas while you’re there.

Satellite Coffee Bar at Neighbor

5102 N. Central Ave.