Those who know me (and now you) know that Macy's is my favorite coffeeshop in the world. I spend all my time there as I can, and have publicly written that it deserves public recognition, including a formal petition to the City of Flagstaff that was picked up by the AZ Daily Sun. Much of this will be redundant from my college newspaper piece, but I do think it is information worth sharing on this page as well.
I am a tremendous advocate for third places and walkable towns & cities. While Flagstaff, AZ has ways to go, it is well ahead of the curve in the United States. Most days driving is an option I choose not to take, as I can easily walk or bike to where I need to go that day. If my calendar is empty, or I need to take some time to do homework or read, that walking trip will be to Macy's. I'll order an Oat Milk Macy's Special (spare me the milk talk), maybe one of their great pastries or items from their kitchen, and sit down at one of the well worn tables or counters. If I'm lucky, the entire store will smell of coffee from their weekly bean roasting. That and all the memories I've made there have made it a second home.
Even outside of my experience, Macy's is kind of awesome. They've been open since 1980, were the first coffee shop to roast their own beans in Arizona, and have been serving espresso longer than Starbucks. They've had offers to expand or franchise, the owner Tim Macy turned it down every time in order to focus on the quality and culture at the one location. I think it has paid off and is demonstrated through the community built around the space.
Mr. Macy is Bahá'í and has turned his location into the local meeting place for those who practice the faith. Once a month they have an evening program open to the public. Just out of interest, I've attended them before. It's not for me, but it was certainly an experience I was glad to participate in. It's just another way that this coffee shop served a purpose greater than itself.
Anyways, you should stop by and see it for yourself. I hope you will agree with how I feel about it.
Brendan Trachsel © Copyright 2024 
