Continuing the theme from last month’s visit to Phoenix of old friends in new places, today’s Coffee Spot is Regroup Coffee + Bicycles, which I first visited five years ago in February 2018. Back then, Regroup was best described as a coffee bar in a bicycle shop in Old Scottsdale and while it had only been open for little more than a year at that point, it had big plans, including roasting its own coffee. In 2021, those plans came to fruition with a move south along Scottsdale Road and across the line separating Scottsdale from Tempe.

These days Regroup occupies a standalone building with a spacious coffee shop on the ground floor, which it shares with the roastery and a bicycle repair shop at the back. Upstairs is the showroom/sales area and offices, which doubles as additional seating, plus there’s outside seating on the terrace at the front. The familiar Mk II Slayer espresso machine has also made the move from Scottsdale, where it anchors a concise menu based around the seasonal house-blend, backed up with a single-origin on both batch-brew and pour-over using the V60. There’s also a limited food menu along with cakes if you’re hungry.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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Regroup Coffee + Bicycles is on the eastern side of Scottsdale Road, two blocks north of the junction with SR-202, itself a block north of the river. If you’re driving, the best approach is from the south, where the entrance to Regroup’s dedicated car park is from Tempe Drive, the turning coming just before Regroup. Alternatively, there’s plenty of space on the cycle rack out front for those arriving by two wheels.

Regroup is set back slightly from the busy road, leaving space for a large, outdoor terrace where eight two-person tables run along a bench at the front. There’s a separate entrance here, a glass door in the window on the right leading directly into Regroup, but the more frequently-used entrance is around the corner, where a second door provides access from the car park to the right of the building.

While the original location in Scottsdale felt very much like a bike shop with a coffee bar, the new location feels much more like a traditional coffee shop, albeit one with several bicycles dotted around and a workshop which is visible behind the counter! The layout is simple, with a broad, open space between the windows at the front and the counter, which runs along the back of the coffee shop, separating it from both the workshop (right) and roastery (left).

The seating is limited to the left-hand side of the coffee shop, with the exception of a pair of armchairs in the centre of the room which face the door on the right. There are a pair of four-person tables in a broad alcove to the left of the counter, at the back of which, on a slightly raised platform, is a tall, padded bench seat with four tall, two-person tables. Finally, if you like watching your barista at work, take a seat at one of the three stools at the left-hand end of the counter where you can sit next to the Slayer espresso machine.

You would be forgiven for thinking that’s all there is to Regroup, but there’s more. To the right of the counter, a broad, open staircase leads up and then along the back wall to the upper floor. Although this is primarily Regroup’s sales space, along with some offices, you are very welcome to take your coffee up here and sit amongst the bicycles on one of seven stools arranged around a large, central table (which you’ll share with a bike).

Returning to the counter, where you order, there’s a concise espresso-based menu using the house-blend, currently a mix of two naturally-processed coffees from Guatemala and Colombia. Alternatively, there’s filter coffee, where the same single-origin, currently a naturally-processed Ethiopian, is available on either batch-brew or pour-over using the V60, with all the coffee roasted on Regroup’s state-of-the-art Loring.

To mark my return, I had a cortado, which I drank sitting at the counter, the rich, fruity notes of the coffee coming strongly through the milk while I chatted with the barista. I would have liked to have tried the pour-over as well, but I had other stops to make, so instead bought a bag of the Ethiopian coffee. This came with me to Portland, where I gave it to Speckled Ax to celebrate the reopening of the full indoor seating at its original Congress Street coffee shop.

Liked this? Then don’t forget to check out the Coffee Spot Guide to Phoenix for more great Coffee Spots.

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