Blue Copper Coffee Salt Lake City: Central Ninth's Light Roast Pioneer Transforming Utah's Coffee Scene

Walk into Blue Copper Coffee Room on a Saturday morning and you'll catch the scent of freshly roasted beans before you even reach the door—that bright, almost fruity aroma that tells you someone here actually gives a damn about what they're doing. The space is small, just a handful of tables squeezed between industrial metal chairs and one worn leather sofa in the corner, but it's packed. Always packed. And for good reason. As one San Francisco transplant put it after ordering a cortado: "Staff are friendly and the coffee is good. Visiting here from San Francisco and end up bringing the bean they roasted home."

This isn't just another third-wave coffee shop trying to out-minimalist the competition. Blue Copper Coffee in Salt Lake City's Central Ninth District has been quietly revolutionizing Utah's specialty coffee scene since 2013, back when Patrick Andrews was roasting beans in a popcorn popper in his garage. Today, his light-roast coffee philosophy and five-day-a-week roasting schedule have made Blue Copper the beating heart of one of Salt Lake's most dynamic neighborhoods.

From Popcorn Popper to Neighborhood Institution: Patrick Andrews' Light Roast Mission

Patrick Andrews didn't set out to become Utah's light roast specialist. He started Blue Copper as a side hobby in 2011, experimenting with home roasting equipment that included, yes, an actual popcorn popper. But when he brought samples to the 2013 Craft Lake City festival, a barista from Nobrow Coffee Werks—one of Salt Lake's OG third-wave shops—tasted what he was doing and immediately wanted in.

The partnership made sense. Nobrow had established itself in the Central Ninth District when the neighborhood was still more warehouse than wine bar, back when having a coffee shop on 900 South felt like a bet on a future that hadn't arrived yet. Andrews moved his roasting operation out of South Salt Lake and into the Matsuura Printing building right next door to Nobrow. By 2015, the two merged completely, with Blue Copper taking over the space and transforming it into what's now the Coffee Room.

Andrews' approach to roasting sets Blue Copper apart from pretty much every other roaster in Utah. While most coffee companies play it safe with medium roasts that appeal to the masses, Blue Copper goes light—really light. Their philosophy? Lighter roasts preserve the delicate, inherent characteristics of each coffee origin. That means floral notes, high fruit flavors, and a brightness that can taste almost like citrus or berries depending on the bean.

"Everything we roast is on the lighter side to highlight the delicate side of coffee—florals and high fruit flavors are most of what we seek in a cup," Andrews explained in an interview. The roasting happens five days a week using house-made software that Andrews developed to master and replicate each profile with obsessive precision. Every bean that goes into a Blue Copper bag is Specialty Grade according to the Specialty Coffee Association standards, sourced from traceable importers and, whenever possible, directly from farms.

The Blue Copper Coffee Experience: Where Cortados Meet Community

Step up to the counter at Blue Copper Coffee Room and you're immediately struck by how the baristas actually seem to know what they're doing. No pretentious sneering, no eye rolls when you ask for oat milk—just knowledgeable folks who love talking about coffee and genuinely want you to have a great cup. One regular put it perfectly: "One of my favorite stops for a latte. The staff are always friendly but they are also really skilled baristas. The coffee is great and there's no bitterness in their espresso blend."

That lack of bitterness isn't an accident. Blue Copper's light roast approach means their espresso has a completely different character than what you'll find at corporate chains or even many specialty shops. Instead of that burnt, aggressive punch, you get complexity—layered flavors that reveal themselves as the shot cools. A visitor from California, clearly a coffee snob herself, noted that she ordered a cortado and "end up bringing the bean they roasted home" after one visit.

The menu stays focused: lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, americanos, and a rotating selection of single-origin pour overs. No sixty-option flavor menu, no unicorn frappuccinos. Just really good coffee made really well. The house blend and seasonal offerings change regularly, with Andrews constantly experimenting with new beans and roast profiles. Customers rave about the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte—"it was so smooth and balanced," one reviewer gushed—and the espresso tonics when the weather warms up.

But the drinks are only part of the story. Blue Copper's food game deserves serious attention, especially their cinnamon coffee cake, which has developed something of a cult following. One customer admitted they kept "glancing at it until I finally allowed him a singular bite" while sharing breakfast with his dad. The molasses cookies and ginger cookies get consistent shout-outs too, with one visitor calling them "off the chain."

The space itself embraces the Central Ninth aesthetic—industrial without being cold, intimate without feeling cramped. There's a piano art piece on one wall, metal tables and chairs scattered throughout, and an outdoor patio that becomes prime real estate the moment temperatures allow. Yeah, parking can be a pain (this is downtown Salt Lake, after all), and you might have to wait for a seat on weekend mornings. But as multiple reviewers noted, it's worth it.

Central Ninth District's Coffee Anchor: How Blue Copper Helped Build a Neighborhood

Patrick Andrews didn't just want to roast good coffee—he wanted to be part of building something bigger. When he moved Blue Copper's roasting operations to Central Ninth in 2015, the neighborhood was at a crossroads. It had potential, sure. Good bones, historic bungalows, proximity to the 900 South TRAX station. But it needed anchors, places that would give people reasons to come, to stay, to invest.

"Coffee shops provide a meeting point," Andrews told Building Salt Lake back then. He estimated that roughly 70 percent of Blue Copper's sales came from regular customers—neighborhood folks who'd made it their daily ritual, their workspace, their third place between home and office.

Atlas Architects, the firm that co-owns Blue Copper and developed the Central Ninth Market building right across the street, saw the coffee shop as key to the entire neighborhood's transformation. The Market now houses restaurants like Laziz Kitchen, Meditrina, and Water Witch Bar, creating the kind of walkable food and drink scene that gives a neighborhood its identity.

The development strategy worked. Today, Central Ninth has become one of Salt Lake City's most talked-about districts, drawing comparisons to the established 9th and 9th corridor but with better transit access and a grittier, more authentic vibe. New residential projects keep popping up, from luxury townhomes to affordable apartment complexes. And at the center of it all, Blue Copper Coffee Room keeps doing what it's done since the beginning—roasting excellent coffee and giving the neighborhood a place to gather.

Blue Copper 2000: The Marmalade District's Edgy Younger Sibling

In 2019, Blue Copper expanded beyond Central Ninth, opening a second location in the Marmalade District that couldn't be more different from the original Coffee Room. Blue Copper 2000 (named for the year it was almost opened) embraces an '80s arcade aesthetic—think Peach Pit meets Blade Runner, according to Atlas Architects' description of the space.

The vibe at 2000 is decidedly more playful. White and black interiors, geometric decor, soft indie music, an edgy chandelier, and yes, actual arcade games scattered throughout. The space embraces inclusivity in a way that feels genuine rather than performative—multiple customers have praised it as a "queer-friendly shop" with a "laid back vibe" and welcoming atmosphere.

"Blue Copper embraces individuality in a way I haven't seen in a coffee shop here before," one customer wrote. "It's their unique look and decor, edgy chandelier, the pride flag, the welcoming 'Hello!' as you walk in. And I love it—it feels like a safe space for individuals to come in as themselves and get a drink."

The coffee program remains identical to the original location—same light-roast philosophy, same five-day roasting schedule, same expert baristas. Customers consistently rave about the vanilla lattes here, with one declaring it "the best coffee I have ever had. It was so smooth and balanced." The Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte has become a signature drink, along with their unsweetened matcha that lets you customize the sweetness level yourself.

Blue Copper 2000 offers more seating than the Coffee Room and has become a favorite spot for Marmalade District residents looking for a neighborhood gathering place. The location at 401 N 300 W puts it within walking distance of Capitol Hill and makes it an easy stop for anyone heading downtown.

Planning Your Visit to Blue Copper Coffee

Blue Copper Coffee Room (Central Ninth District)
179 W 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(385) 222-7046
Monday-Friday: 8am-3pm | Saturday-Sunday: 9am-4pm

Blue Copper 2000 (Marmalade District)
401 N 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801) 225-2092
Monday-Friday: 7am-2pm | Saturday-Sunday: 8am-3pm

What to order: Start with a cortado to really taste the espresso quality. If you're into lattes, the Brown Sugar Cinnamon is worth the hype. Don't skip the cinnamon coffee cake. For true coffee nerds, ask what single-origin they're currently featuring—Blue Copper rotates through new roasts monthly and the baristas love talking about the specific flavor profiles.

Parking: Limited street parking at both locations. The Coffee Room benefits from the 900 South TRAX station being right there, so public transit is honestly your best bet. Blue Copper 2000 has easier street parking in Marmalade, but it fills up on weekends.

Pro tip: Both locations get slammed on Saturday mornings. If you want to actually sit and work, weekday mornings are your friend. Also, if you fall in love with a particular roast, buy beans to go—everything on their website is available in-store, plus some exclusive retail-only offerings.

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Patrick Andrews started Blue Copper in his garage with a popcorn popper and a vision for what Utah coffee could become. More than a decade later, he's helped transform not just one but two Salt Lake City neighborhoods, proving that exceptional coffee and genuine community building aren't mutually exclusive. Blue Copper Coffee doesn't just serve light-roast specialty coffee—it's become the kind of place where San Francisco coffee snobs bring beans home as souvenirs, where locals plan their entire mornings around a cortado and cinnamon coffee cake, and where neighborhoods find their center. And yeah, they roast it fresh five days a week. Because in Patrick Andrews' world, you don't cut corners when it comes to coffee.

Instagram: @bluecoppercoffee