This Huge Coffee Hub is Coming to Hillcrest

With seven locations throughout San Diego, including a production roasting facility in Vista and cafes in Encinitas, Point Loma and Pacific Beach, Better Buzz Coffee Roasters’ next project is an ambitious and large-scale coffee lover’s paradise in the heart of Hillcrest. First founded in 2002, Better Buzz has been remodeling a 7.500-square-foot multi-level building on University Avenue into a second headquarters for the company and a showcase for its craft coffee pursuits.

Currently scheduled to open in late December, the ground floor will be an all-day coffee bar and eatery, with plenty of seating and modern decor ranging from hanging plants to a wooden tree sculpture strewn with Edison bulbs. A central coffee bar will produce both specialty drinks and more third wave brews, from Seraphim pour-over coffee to several varieties of single origin espresso. The main level will also feature a vintage Probat machine, roasting up small batches that will be exclusively available to taste and buy at this site, and a glassed-in cold brew room that will handle production for all Better Buzz locations.

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Director of coffee production Daniel Greig, who shared that the company is also upgrading its coffee kiosk at Fashion Valley into a storefront/coffee bar that will launch on Black Friday, tells Eater that Better Buzz’s food menu, which now offers everything from sandwiches to acai bowls, will expand to include more breads and pastries baked in-house and additional brunch-y items ranging from biscuits to waffles and pancakes. A ground floor conference room and mezzanine lounge will be available for rent to companies and private events, with food and beverage packages offered. The second story will hold Better Buzz offices, as well as a training bar where public cupping classes may be offered.