Watchtower Cafe - The Idea That Never Went Away

Mar 29

Salt Lake City has a secret. It’s full of nerds. Tabletop games, cosplaying, cons, comics, geeky podcasts. Hell, we were even voted one of the nerdiest states in the country. The amount of accessibility to various geeky interests is growing, and what was once an underground and mocked culture has risen to the top of the pop culture pile. It’s now hip to be a nerd.

For Cori Hoekstra and Mike Tuiasoa, geekdom wasn’t a trend. It was a lifestyle. With strong roots in the Salt Lake City geek community, Cori and Mike were more than aware of the community's needs. With Cori’s background in coffee houses and restaurant management, and Mike’s desire to have ownership of a project, their shared dream of having the freedom to create something on their own motivated them to look for opportunities.

How could they tie their comic book and literature interests into a business? How could they provide an authentic experience that rang true to who they are, and to the community they are so proudly part of?

What began as a dream very quickly took shape into Watchtower Cafe, a coffee shop that provides an encompassing experience for all coffee shop customers, but also provides a space tailored for their nerdy and geeky guests looking for a space to gather. With high-quality coffee, delicious food, and a large, comfortable space to relax, Watchtower Cafe is more than meets the eye.

Join us for this week's entertaining and inspiring episode, as we dive into the short history of Watchtower Cafe, a unique coffee/hangout/event spot that brings a unique flavor to the growing Salt Lake City coffee scene.

This episode of The Utah Foodie was hosted by Chase Murdock and produced by Ryan Samanka. Visit our episode archive on Ventricle Presents, and stay connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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