When Three Pines Coffee opened in a 160-square-foot storefront on Gallivan Avenue in 2016, only two patrons at a time could stand side-by-side at the counter. If there was a line behind them, each person had to turn sideways to make their way to the door. This small space, however, was the mark of great success for owners Meg Frampton and her partner Nick Price, who hand-built the simple cart from which they exclusively sold their specialty coffee only one year before. In January 2017, Frampton and Price reached another milestone in their relatively short time on the SLC coffee scene: they moved to their new location at 165 South Main St. in the heart of downtown.

Compared with other local coffee shops, the Three Pines Coffee menu is small, but don’t let that deter you. Frampton and Price spent years perfecting their barista techniques amidst the coffee scene in Los Angeles before moving back to Utah to set up their own shop. They are even looking to offer community classes on high-quality brewing in the future.

Despite the company’s humble beginnings, a striking feature of Three Pines Coffee is its appealing atmosphere. Frampton and Price are not shy about Three Pines being an adventure in itself for them, and their new space conveys an invitation to stay a while and participate in their exciting endeavor. By the same token, with more seating and room than they’ve ever been able to offer, they seem to be offering to facilitate their patrons’ own undertakings. Three Pines Coffee offers excellent, high-quality beverages and food, but I think it’s a safe bet to say that Frampton and Price don’t want customers to report that they just had a cup of coffee at their place, but rather, that they just created something or connected with someone there.