motive coffee

Walk past the storefront on Ivinson Avenue and you'll smell what Motive does. The roasting fills the surrounding blocks, which is a useful tell in a town like Laramie. Jeff roasts the coffee himself, in small batches, and the shop is set up around that fact rather than around lingering customers.

Bring your own container and they'll fill it. Bring back an old bag and they'll recycle it. The bulk refill program is the kind of thing a small operation can offer when the owner is the one behind the counter every day and isn't trying to scale a packaging line. It also reflects what the place is for. Customers come in, talk to Jeff, leave with beans, and brew at home.

The cold brew and the Colombia roast are the regulars' picks, and the pour-over is made to order if you want something on the spot. None of it is dressed up. There's no cafe scene to speak of and no real seating, so if you came to Laramie hoping to settle in with a laptop, this isn't that. People wanting a quiet espresso ritual and a table will be happier elsewhere.

Where Motive earns its place is in the convergence of three things small roasters keep promising and rarely deliver together: fresh beans roasted on the premises, a person at the counter who knows what's in the bag, and a willingness to skip packaging when you ask. Travelers passing through Wyoming who want a bag for the road will get exactly that here. Locals get the same plus the option to refill instead of repurchase.

The Colombia is a good starting place if you don't know where to begin. Ask Jeff what he just pulled out of the roaster and you'll get a more interesting answer than any menu can give you.