You don’t need me to tell you that it’s back-to-school season. The tenor of our city has changed. University students have descended on the Target at El Con, stripping its shelves bare of frozen fruit, gum and shower caddies. They crowd the Sun Link streetcar and establishments like Gentle Ben’s on weekend nights.
Meanwhile, parents of K-12 students are packing lunches and researching developments around the delta variant. Although remote learning is mostly a relic, fully in-person classes pose their own uncertain challenges to teachers as they return to classrooms as well.
Then there are working stiffs like me, who have no kids, no changing responsibilities with the beginning of a new school year. As we stagger to the finish line of a drawn-out summer, we need a pick-me-up to get through life as usual.
For all of the groups above, few establishments offer as simple and direct relief as a drive-thru coffee stand. While Starbucks and Dutch Bros have become ubiquitous, Tucson has a great selection of homegrown favorites, led by the iconic Coffee Times on Speedway.
As a litmus test for the affordability of a particular location, I’ve included the price of a 16-ounce drip coffee or equivalent. At Starbucks, a grande drip will run you $2.85. At Dutch Bros, which only brews espresso coffees, a 16-ounce Americano costs $2.75.
Calle Coffee
Location: At the base of Sentinel Peak
Hours: Typically 7 a.m.-noon Mondays-Fridays; occasionally closed for private events, which are posted on their Instagram
Price: $3.00 for a 16-ounce drip coffee
Coffee on the Fly at Water Street Station
Location: 3952 N. First Ave.
Hours: 7 a.m-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays.
Price: $2.65 for a 16-ounce Americano
Coffee Times
Location: 3401 E. Speedway, near Country Club Road
Hours: 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays.
Price: $2.25 for a 16-ounce drip
Special offer: Their 8-ounce drip is only 99 cents!
Coffee X Change
Location: 6481 N. Camino Principal, near Tanque Verde Road; and 8501 E. Broadway near Camino Seco
Hours: 5 a.m.-9 p.m. daily at the Tanque Verde location; 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily at the Broadway location.
Price: $2.75 for a 16-ounce drip
Crave Coffee Bar
Location: 4530 E. Broadway
Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Price: $2.55 for a “medium”
The Human Bean
Location: 6295 E. 22nd St.
Hours: 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays
Price: $3 for a 16-ounce
Red Captain Coffee
Location: 4004 N. Stone Ave.
Hours: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays
Price: $4.25 for a 16-ounce
Special offer: 15% teacher discount through October 1
Roadrunner Kiosk
Location: 1545 W. Wetmore Road
Hours: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; is 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays
Price: $2.50 for a 16-ounce drip
