4 Cozy Coffee Shops in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a Good Buzz
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Since this was my third week traveling in a row, I knew at least part of my time would be spent nestled in some of the coffee shops in Fort Wayne trying to catch up on my writing.
What was I doing in Fort Wayne you might ask?
WELL WHY WOULDN’T I TRAVEL TO FORT WAYNE?!?!? But, honestly, I was in town covering a story on the Vera Bradley Foundation (primarily) and getting to know the city in general. I had a whirlwind of a weekend, and while it wasn’t my first time in Indiana, this trip cemented that it wouldn’t be my last. I’ll go into the nitty gritty of the city and all the things to do in Fort Wayne in another blog post, but for now just know that there’s a lot more to this unassuming music city than meets the eye.
After long days of having fun bouncing between the attractions in Fort Wayne…I still had a lot of work to do. Thankfully I’ve graduated with my Masters in Chemistry two months ago (feel free to drop your congratulations in the comments), so I didn’t have to worry about that. But I still had my fiction novel (I’m hovering at about 93k words at the moment!), countless blog posts from my summer in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and a ton of freelancing assignments.
Ya girl needed to write.
So before and after my day exploring the best of what Fort Wayne had to offer, you’d find me squirreled away like Alexander Hamilton either in my hotel room at the Bradley or one of the many cafes nearby. Which brings me to the point of this post…
Best Coffee Shops in Fort Wayne
Y’all, I went to a LOT of coffee shops in Fort Wayne. Like…a concerning amount considering I was only really in town for like four days. As it goes, they all weren’t my favorite (no shade), but I did find a few fun gems that I’d love to share with the class.
Of course, I am only a visitor and haven’t been to ALL of the coffee shops in Fort Wayne, but these few really made a great first impression on me, had kind and welcoming staff, and most importantly, knew a good brew!
The Bradley Hotel
I spent many a mornings (well, three mornings to be exact) grabbing some caffeine at the Bradley Hotel lobby. For one, I was staying there so it made it extremely easy for a quick pick-me-up on the way out to explore for the day. So, okay, it’s not exactly a standalone cafe, but if you’re already staying there, it’ll be your go-to.
There was a Keurig machine in the room as well as tea bags…but there’s just nothing like having someone make it for you professionally.
My biggest compliment to the in-house cafe at the Bradley Hotel are how incredible the barista staff are. They were all very friendly and welcoming, even to those who weren’t actively ordering. Even better, the knew how to make a great cuppa-one of my favorites in Fort Wayne in fact. So even if you aren’t staying at the hotel (though you should), if you’re passing by in the morning, I highly recommend stopping in for a coffee or tea.
Crescendo Coffee & Cafe
Now if you’re looking for a good coffee and actual food combo, my top recommendation is Crescendo Coffee. They are right down the street from The Bradley Hotel, which made a convenient stop for me. There’s plenty of seating as well with full tables, so if you also wanted to work remotely on anything, I’d recommend this cafe.
I love that they have a full beverage AND food menu, but we’ll start with their drinks. I ordered one of their fun seasonal drinks and it absolutely blew me away. Plus, they have almost a dozen seasonal options, so there’s something for everyone that’s feeling festive. Their signatures always feel good, but since it was inching into fall, I had to celebrate with a pump of apple. I wish I hadn’t already had lunch because I would’ve died for one of their flatbreads.
Oh well, guess I’ll just have to go back.
Fortezza Coffee
Fortezza Coffee is already rated as one of the best coffee shops in Fort Wayne, but I’m here to announce…well, obviously the title was earned considering I’m including it on this list. Located between the hotel, the art museum, and the botanical garden, it has a super easy location to pop into on your way to and from all the things to do in Fort Wayne.
It looks small from the outside, but there’s multiple rooms and much bigger from the inside. I’m starting to suspect it might actually be the Tardis. But I digress, the barista was super nice and was even open to a little chit chat to answer a few questions I had about Fort Wayne. My drink was fantastic and the vibes were cozy.
Penny Drip
And last but not least, Penny Drip is such an incredible closure for this list of coffee shops in Fort Wayne. I stopped in while I was biking around town, and even though it was rainy, something about the outside seemed so warm. Lo and behold, it was! Unfortunately, I foolishly forgot to get a bike lock when I rented the bike, so I couldn’t stay inside long, but I grabbed my drink to go.
It’s also dog friendly and had a few bites on the menu as well. While I was waiting, I saw a lot of people working from this cafe, and the atmosphere was so focused and studious it made me wish I had brought my laptop so I could also get some work done. Well, my laptop and a bike lock, but I digress.
If the weather is nice, there’s plenty of seating (with umbrellas) on the patio outside, and the space seems like it really opens up. It’s not in the center of downtown, but worth the short walk (or bike ride!)
Conclusion
And there you have it, my favorite coffee shops in Fort Wayne! Again, I haven’t been to all of them, nor will I logically speaking, but I wholeheartedly recommend these four. If you’ve been in the area, you might be wondering why I didn’t list a specific fan favorite cafe…and well, they were nice, but unfortunately I didn’t like the tea drink I ordered and they didn’t ask if I wanted a hot or iced drink…and their assumption was incorrect. I’m not opposed to going back for another try, but they didn’t make the cut this time.
There are two that I didn’t manage to make it to, Snail Cafe and Tall Rabbit Cafe, clearly it was not in the cards for me to visit animal-named cafes this trip hahah. Speaking of, I didn’t see a cat cafe in Fort Wayne; maybe I’m biased, but I think every city needs one.
If you’ve visited or live in town, let me know which are your favorite coffee shops in Fort Wayne in the comments below! I’m always done for another drink 🙂
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