Escondido Scores Drive-Thru Coffee That Isn’t Starbucks

Better Buzz Coffee Roasters opens its eleventh location this Saturday, January 11 in Escondido, a welcome infusion in an area with slim options for craft coffee. Though the company’s footprint is still a drop in the bucket compared to coffee goliaths like Starbucks, the Vista-based roastery is carving out a unique category for itself by offering the cafe experience with the convenience of a drive-thru.

Housed in a former Starbucks space, the Escondido outpost is Better Buzz’s sixth cafe/drive-thru combo. Open daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., its full range of specialty drinks and the entire food menu, from its popular Best Drink Ever and Orange Matcha Latte to avocado toast and breakfast sandwich, is available to customers in cars — except for the more time-intensive pour-overs.

The 1,470-square-foot space, which includes an outdoor patio, is the first in an ongoing collaboration with design firm MY Studio ID (Pachamama, Madero’s).