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Tips for your next visit to Utopian Coffee

Tips for your next visit to Utopian Coffee
A latte at Utopian Coffee. (Chloe Mackay)

Utopian Coffee is one of our favorite coffee shops at The Local. I (Kara) have spent many mornings working in their cozy cafe on The Landing, drinking a chai tea latte or Obsidian blend (black).

  • Speaking of Obsidian: Did you know Utopian's Obsidian and Union blends recently earned a rare Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) in the coffee world. This makes Utopian one of the first specialty roasters in the Midwest to achieve the distinction that focuses on crop diversity to improve soil health and conditions.
  • You might not realize: that, more than a cafe, Utopian has a powerful global mission. Since it was founded in Fort Wayne in 2006, it has worked directly with coffee producers around the world to create more sustainable supply chains, traveling throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and East Africa to build relationships and source excellent coffee. As Co-Founder Brendon Maxwell puts it: "Utopian sources, roasts and uses coffee as a way to tell meaningful stories about producers, build relationships, and help support regenerative farming practices throughout the coffee-growing world."
  • Perhaps as a result: Utopian was a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Roaster of the Year award by Roast Magazine. Working out of its roastery on South Calhoun Street, it puts out about 425,585 pounds of roasted coffee annually and integrates sustainability into its operations with eco-friendly roasting techniques, composting and recycling – just to name a few.

We sat down with Maxwell and Utopian Cafe Manager Paige Rabineau for a few quick tips for your next visit.

What are some of your most popular menu items at the cafe?

PR: Our honey cinnamon latte, the miel, is a definite crowd-pleaser! I also like to offer it paired with other flavors like our homemade lavender that's almost impossible not to try when you can smell it being batched in the cafe. 

What are your personal favorite menu items?

PR: If I'm wanting something cozy, we're currently featuring a brown sugar anise cortado that really scratches that itch for me. It's got a nice warming spice to it and feels perfect for a rainy day. Otherwise, I really enjoy drinks where our espresso can be the main star, like an iced americano. 

What's an insider tip for people who visit the cafe or shop online? 

BM: Be sure to check out our Coffee Review offerings, as well as our ROC (Regenerative Organic Certified) coffees online! 

Anything else you'd like to share! Feel free to post announcements or tell our readers about events. 

BM: Keep up with what the baristas are cooking up next for fun seasonal lattes on the Utopian Cafe Instagram!

What's next for your business in 2025? 

BM: We're in the final stages of building out a Coffee Lab at the Roastery, which will be an awesome space to host tastings and tours of the roasting operation.

Stay tuned for updates as Utopian progresses on its Coffee Lab!


Try it!

This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a FREE 16 oz. drip coffee OR a 12 oz. plain whole milk latte at Utopian Coffee (any modifiers an additional charge). Learn how to claim your free offer here.