Java Love Coffee Roasting Co

Java Love is the coffee shop on Church Street in downtown Montclair, and the neighboring business owners say so out loud rather than hedging the claim. The Pride Blend stays on the menu year-round, not as a June marketing exercise, the bathroom has a changing table for parents with infants, and the dogs get water without having to ask. Those are the small accumulating details that tell you who the shop is built for, and they're harder to fake than a chalkboard with a values statement.

Music shifts with whoever's behind the counter; The Smiths one shift, The Cure the next, and the regulars know which barista pulls what. The tables run small. Indoor and outdoor seating both fill up at peak hours, and laptop workers have to time their arrival or take whatever spot opens up. Wifi is fast and outlets are plenty when you can land a spot, which is the practical hurdle on weekends.

Iced chai latte, toasted marshmallow latte, flat white, cappuccino across the bar. The vegan donuts and croissants move quickly, often gone by mid-morning, and the almond croissant and blueberry muffin are the steady picks from the rest of the pastry case. The toasted marshmallow latte is the seasonal-curiosity order that turns out to be better than it sounds and worth ordering at least once. Parents with infants get the changing table, which is a small piece of infrastructure that gets discussed in Montclair parent groups; dog owners get the water dishes and a counter crew that treats the dog like a customer; downtown Montclair regulars get the spot they've been treating as their living room for years. Less ideal during a Saturday rush when every chair is claimed and the line backs out the door, but built for the rest of the week.