This week I’m all about getting a good cup of coffee. Or not.

A recent addition to our local coffee house scene is Avenue Coffee. It’s on Campbell Avenue, just north of Grant Road. Avenue Coffee has been open about a month in the space formerly occupied by Coffee’s On.

Owners Mark and Jenni Harrell moved to Tucson from the Seattle area about a year ago and had been looking for the right opportunity to open a coffee house in Tucson. While the crowds have been light on my recent visits, they are sure to grow as more Tucsonans learn about their quality product coupled with the tremendous value they offer.

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Avenue Coffee’s beans are roasted locally by Caffe Luce and their baked goods are sourced locally too. As for value, I was shocked. A 16-ounce cappuccino can be had for $2.60. That’s 22 percent less than that big chain that’s here from Seattle.

The only downside at Avenue Coffee is the rather stark ambiance. Hopefully that will change over time. In the meantime, I’ll gladly sacrifice a little ambiance for a great product, friendly service and all at a tremendous value.

• Avenue Coffee, 2502 N. Campbell Ave. — http://twitter.com/avenuecoffee — (520) 225-0437.  

Add one, subtract one

In the category of “add one, take away one,” the regional coffee house chain It’s a Grind has opened one Tucson location but closed another.

It’s a Grind, billed as a neighborhood coffee house with a jazz and blues motif, has four locations in Arizona. Mostly franchised locations, one owner recently closed the It’s a Grind on North Oracle Road but another franchisee has opened in the Trader Joe’s shopping center on Campbell Avenue at the Rillito River. In addition to an array of coffee and coffee drinks, It’s a Grind features pastries delivered daily by Village Bakehouse.

• It’s a Grind, 4205 N. Campbell Ave. — http://itsagrind.com/index.php — (520) 326-1981.

Sign says ‘open’ but...

Last week I arranged for a meeting downtown at Ike’s Coffee & Tea. I had specifically chosen Ike’s not only because it was convenient for this particular meeting but also because it is locally owned.

My guest and I arrived about 3:30 p.m., ordered our drinks and sat down to chat. About 4 p.m. one of the two staff members present started placing the chairs on tables followed by sweeping and mopping. At this point, aside from my guest and I, there was one other customer seated in the shop. Not only was the commotion with the chairs, sweeping and mopping distracting, it made us feel very unwelcome. It was as if we were trespassing in their space and needed to hurry up and leave.

About 4:20 we did leave. The feeling of being pushed out seemed so odd. And the idea of a 4 p.m. closing time downtown seemed early. I checked the posted hours on the door. So you can imagine how surprised I was to read that closing time is 5:30 p.m.

I think I understand as well as anyone how difficult it is for local businesses to compete against national chains. Independents have to work harder and smarter to differentiate their products and services. 

While my experience at Ike’s was certainly different than I have experienced elsewhere, it wasn’t welcoming and I certainly didn’t come away feeling my patronage was appreciated.

And there are plenty of places these days to get a caffeine fix.

Contact Michael Luria at mjluria@gmail.com. Meals & Entertainment appears weekly in Inside Tucson Business.