A new coffee shop is set to open on the southwest corner of Monroe Street and First Avenue next month with the goal of being the caffeine pickup for people on the move.
Mornin’ Moonshine, which will be in the 111 West Monroe tower, will be a new addition to DJ Fernandes’ local restaurants, Vovomeena and Tuck Shop.
Vovomeena, located on Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road, is known for its breakfast and brunch. The restaurant makes its own coffee, which shares the namesake with the new restaurant — Mornin’ Moonshine. Fernandes created the name after noticing the similarities between the machines used to distill the Japanese cold-brew coffee and old whiskey distilleries.
Although Mornin’ Moonshine and Vovomeena will be similar in terms of coffee, Mornin’ Moonshine will be condensed in comparison to its sister restaurant. Mornin’ Moonshine’s lack of a kitchen sets it apart from other breakfast restaurants, featuring a basic menu and coffee bar to keep up with its patrons.
As owner and architect of Mornin’ Moonshine, Fernandes designed the space to cater to the fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyles of businessmen, college students and other characters typically found bustling through downtown Phoenix.
At 400 square feet, the coffee shop will be too small to be Phoenix’s own Central Perk, but despite its size, Fernandes said it will be “funky and full of color” to keep busy mornings bright and happy.
And when the time comes for the doors to open and the first customer to be served, there will not be a loud grand opening celebration.
“We just sort of roll out gently and that gives us time to work through kinks, and that gives us the ability to grow into it ourselves,” Fernandes said.
Mornin’ Moonshine joins Uber and Cannon Designs as the newest tenants of 111 West Monroe, a 50-year-old skyscraper undergoing renovations. The distinctive combination of companies will be “conducive to creativity” for the tower, said Jennifer Rogers, property manager of the building.
Rogers said the location will also be one of many locations used for seminars during Phoenix Start Up Week, beginning Monday, Feb. 23. The event is expected to draw more than 3,000 entrepreneurs to the Valley, with the first day focusing on business in the downtown Phoenix area.
Maylan Murray, a Tucson resident, visits Phoenix at least once a month and prefers tea over coffee, but said she plans to add Mornin’ Moonshine to her list of stops when the grab-and-go joint opens.
She was interested by the idea of a small new coffee shop contrasting the historic landmark it will be inhabiting in an urban setting.
“It sounds intriguing enough that people should want to check it out, especially because it’s an in-and-out sort of thing,” she said.
Mornin’ Moonshine does not have a set opening date yet, but is expected to open in March.
Contact the reporter at cmaniga@asu.edu
