Downtown Salt Lake City's Hidden Gem: How Twin Sisters Built Cupla Coffee Into Utah's Most Welcoming Coffee Roastery

You'd walk right past it if you didn't know where to look. There's no flashy storefront, no sidewalk sandwich board screaming for attention. Just a modest sign outside the Axis Building on 200 South that says "Cupla Bakery & Café" with an arrow pointing down. Down the stairs. Into a basement.

And that's exactly where some of the best coffee in downtown Salt Lake City happens.

The moment you descend those stairs into Cupla Coffee, natural light floods in from street-level windows above. There's a bookshelf wall curated with care, a bench made of artificial grass, and the kind of concrete-meets-hardwood industrial warmth that makes you want to stay awhile. "This place is so good I went back the day after! I like its chill atmosphere it's perfect for reading a book or getting work done. And the staff is friendly," wrote Samantha Lemon in a five-star review. It's the kind of space that convention-goers stumble upon after bad hotel coffee sends them searching the streets near the Salt Palace Convention Center. And when they find it, they're genuinely surprised—both that it exists and that it's this good.

The Twin Sisters Who Left Park City to Build Their Own Roastery

Identical twins Abigail Purdie and Bethany Heath didn't exactly take the traditional path to owning a downtown Salt Lake City coffee shop. Raised Mormon in Southern California, they weren't even supposed to drink coffee according to their childhood faith. But once they tried it, they fell hard for the ritual, the craft, the community that forms around a good cup.

After seven years working for a Park City roaster, the sisters found themselves barely seeing each other despite working in the same industry. Their only time to catch up? Those exhausted phone calls driving home after long shifts. Anyone who's worked in coffee knows the pace—the early mornings, the constant motion, the strange intimacy of making someone's morning routine perfect when you're running on fumes yourself.

One day changed everything. Beth was working at a coffee shop when one of her regular customers came in and told a story that made the twins realize: if they wanted to spend time together while doing what they loved, they needed to build something of their own.

In 2017, they made the tough call to leave Park City—where they'd spent a decade becoming fixtures in the coffee scene—and headed downtown to try their hand at ownership. They chose the name Cupla, the Irish Gaelic word for "twin," a nod to their heritage and the fact that they were born under the sign of Gemini. The universe seemed to be telling them something about duality, partnership, doing this thing together.

What Makes Cupla Coffee Different: High-Altitude Roasting and Signature Drinks

Here's something most people don't think about: Utah's elevation fundamentally changes how coffee tastes. Because the mountain air is thinner and drier, Cupla can roast their beans using less heat, which means less chance of scorching. The altitude allows them to properly develop the bean flavors using less heat, resulting in a consistently perfect brewed cup of high-elevation coffee.

Beth handles the roasting at their Cottonwood Heights location, working in small batches with organic, fair-trade, shade-grown beans sourced from plantations around the coffee belt—Brazil, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Madagascar. The sisters rotate their offerings seasonally, which means you're not drinking coffee that's been sitting around. You're drinking something roasted fresh, probably within the last few days.

Their signature drinks have developed cult followings. The Scottie features butterscotch syrup and is topped with a white pepper sprinkle. Yeah, you read that right—white pepper on your latte. One customer asked the barista for her number one recommendation, "and she tipped me off to The Scottie. 'It's cracked,' she said, and true enough it was, assisted by the cracked pepper on top. Who knew?!?"

Then there's the Mount Caramel and the Snickerdoodle Latte, which has customers coming back specifically for that cinnamon-sugar nostalgia. "We ordered a Vanilla Latte, Root Beer Latte, and Snickerdoodle Latte. All three drinks were terrific. Even though they were flavored, they weren't over-sweet and the coffee beans shined thru," one TripAdvisor reviewer noted after discovering the downtown location before a conference at the Salt Palace.

For the keto and paleo folks, there's The Cupla Bullet—grass-fed butter, MCT oil, cocoa powder, and heavy cream whipped into your coffee like liquid energy. And if you're not into coffee at all, their lavender lemonade and turmeric chai have their own devoted fans.

The bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado. If you take nothing else from this article, remember that dish. "The bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado was 11/10 Lavender dirty Chai 11/10 this is the first place in Utah that has had the best drinks The scone was perfect 11/10," gushed one customer who clearly wasn't holding back their enthusiasm.

The sisters bake all their own pastries, catering specifically to alternative diets—gluten-free, vegan, keto, paleo, low-sugar. "Love Cupla Coffee! The twins know what they're doing. They roast their own coffee and they do it well! It's also the only place I know in salt lake area that has keto treats (cookies, cheesecake, cupcakes!)," noted a regular who'd been searching for options that fit their dietary needs.

The brunch menu features breakfast burritos (get yours "Cupla style" with cheddar cheese fried onto the outside), frittatas, bagels with lox, avocado toast, and seasonal bakery items. Everything pairs perfectly with whatever you're drinking, whether it's a simple drip coffee or one of their more adventurous specialty lattes.

From Downtown to the Slopes: Cupla's Three Utah Locations

After proving the concept worked in that quirky basement space downtown, Abigail and Bethany expanded strategically. In 2020, they opened in Cottonwood Heights at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon—perfect positioning for skiers and snowboarders heading up to Brighton, Solitude, Alta, or Snowbird. "LOVE Cupla Coffee! The owner went out of her way to make us the best coffee & food! Super comfortable, cute atmosphere," wrote Emma D. about the Cottonwood location.

Then in October 2021, they came full circle, opening their Park City location in Kimball Junction. "Park City is where we found our love for, and ultimately nurtured and grew our passion for coffee," Bethany told a local outlet. After managing Park City Coffee Roasters for years, returning to open their own shop there felt like coming home.

Each location has its own personality but maintains that same welcoming energy. All three are dog-friendly with patios where you'll find furry friends lounging while their humans sip lattes. All three offer free WiFi for remote workers and students. And all three maintain that "home away from home" vibe that Abby and Madi—their superstar barista at the downtown location—somehow create naturally.

Why Cupla Coffee Matters to Utah's Third-Wave Coffee Scene

In a state historically known more for abstaining from coffee than celebrating it, the specialty coffee movement in Salt Lake City represents something bigger than caffeine. It's about carving out space for a different kind of Utah identity—one that embraces craft, quality, and the slow pleasure of a well-made drink.

The coffee scene in Salt Lake has been evolving for many years, quietly surpassing everyone's expectations. Cupla sits right at the heart of that evolution as a locally-owned coffee roaster that refuses to compromise on sourcing, refuses to mass-produce, and refuses to treat customers like transactions.

The sisters participate in Pride Month events and Twin Day celebrations. They've built their business on sustainability principles—small-batch roasting reduces waste, and they exclusively source from ethical, fair-trade plantations. They've created a space where the Mormon kid curious about trying coffee for the first time feels just as welcome as the third-wave coffee snob analyzing tasting notes.

Planning Your Visit to Cupla Coffee Downtown SLC

Downtown Salt Lake City Location: 77 W 200 S (basement of the Axis Building) Open Monday-Sunday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

The downtown location is a short walk from the Salt Palace Convention Center, Temple Square, City Creek Center, and the Delta Center. It's easily accessible by TRAX public transportation, and there's plenty of street parking nearby.

What to Order: First-timers should try The Scottie or the Snickerdoodle Latte to experience their signature style. If you want to taste the quality of their roasting, get a simple drip coffee or flat white. For food, that bacon egg and cheese croissant with avocado is non-negotiable. And if you have dietary restrictions, don't hesitate to ask—they've likely got options you won't find elsewhere in downtown SLC.

Best Times to Visit: Weekday mornings tend to be busy with the convention and business crowd. If you want a quieter experience for working or reading, aim for mid-afternoon. Weekend mornings attract a more relaxed brunch crowd.

Other Locations:

Cottonwood Heights: 3418 Bengal Blvd (perfect pre-ski stop)
Park City: 1476 Newpark Blvd, Kimball Junction (minutes from ski resorts)

Follow them on Instagram @cuplacoffeehouse to see their daily specials and seasonal menu additions.

The Bottom Line

In a city filled with corporate coffee chains and tourists seeking familiar comfort, Cupla Coffee proves that the best experiences often require going down a flight of stairs into a basement you almost missed. Abigail and Bethany Purdie-Heath built something rare: a downtown Salt Lake City coffee shop that feels like it actually belongs to the neighborhood, where the coffee is roasted with the kind of care that only comes from people who fell in love with the craft and decided to make it their whole lives.

Whether you're grabbing a quick americano before a conference at the Salt Palace, settling in for a remote work session with a Cupla Bullet, or discovering your new favorite breakfast burrito, you're participating in something the twins created specifically so they could hang out together while serving great coffee. And honestly? That's the kind of origin story that makes everything taste better.

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