What if there was a coffee shop where the baristas asked customers if they’d like a slap to go with their coffee (two for the sleepy souls ordering decaf)? Mike Rozenblum joked about this concept years before opening Slap Face Coffee & Tea. While his baristas don’t actually implement this practice, the title playfully tips its hat to caffeine’s role in a muddled morning. This cheery absurdity doesn’t stop at the title, but permeates the entire shop. The cafe resides in a former bank and uses the old vault as a seating area. Its prominent mural features a geisha—submerged in a latte as if it were a hot tub—caught in the act of picking her nose. As the unofficial art and culture hub of the Fremont community, Slap Face Coffee & Tea’s offerings are as splendidly eclectic as the interior. A single night at the cafe may very well consist of a rock band, magicians, and salsa dancing. A myriad of free workshops are also presented—everything from public speaking seminars to training puppies to piano lessons offered by the resident musician. Rozenblum, patron saint of night owls, keeps his shop open until midnight and hosts under-the-stars events during the summer, transforming the parking lot into an outdoor lounge with blow-up couches, music, and dancing.

“We’ve made our bar quite low, the idea being that baristas should not be behind some tall bar where there’s a barrier between the customer and the barista. We like a closer interaction. Also, we want to expose the actual process of coffee making. The customer gets to see how it’s done. It’s transparent.”

Written by Johanna Hickle