Duluth’s Newest Coffee Shop Offers A Creative, Unique Experience

A brand new, locally-owned coffee shop just opened in Downtown Duluth, offering a quaint and creative experience unique to the Twin Ports area.

The new shop just opened a matter of days ago, so I decided to check it out and share what the new place is all about.

Introducing Studio Café

Now open at 103 West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth, Studio Café is making its home in the old Dream Cloud Coffee Roasters location.

Dream Cloud announced in late 2023 that they would be closing their Downtown Duluth shop to move to a new location on Scenic Highway 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors. This left an opening for a new business to spring up.

In visiting with one of the shop's employees, they shared that the shop opened on September 8, and their social media presence began promoting their opening to the world on September 10.

In an introductory social media post, owner Pete Pascente explains he is "an artist, designer, technologist, dancer, maker, runner, and serial hobbyist of many a fun thing", who started the new business in the "hopes of inspiring creative practice and expression, since I believe it's core to our human well-being."

What's unique about Studio Café?

Coffee shops have a long and deep history with the artistic world, being places where many creative types gather to collaborate, create, and perform. This new Duluth shop leans into that on a level unlike other coffee shops in the area.

Studio Café's website details this as being at the core of its mission, explaining the business "aims to help cultivate and enable expressing creativity in everyone by making it easy to get started with traditional arts and crafts mediums."

Besides being a physical space to be in to create, the shop also has supplies readily available to get creative. Whether it be crocheting, painting, or drawing, there is a whole bookshelf with items like yarn, paint brushes and paint, calligraphy supplies, paper, and glue.

On top of that, there's a neat little feature tucked away at Studio Café I thought was an interesting touch.

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Near the coffee bar, there is an old typewriter and paper not just there as decoration, but for people to use. Next to the typewriter, there is a note inviting guests to use the typewriter. If you've never used one before, the mechanical and tactile experience is kind of cathartic and definitely unlike modern typing experiences.

In addition to those features, they will host a number of creative and artistic events in the space. Looking at their schedule, things like live music,

What does Studio Café serve?

This new shop is in the process of rolling out its menu, starting off serving a selection of baked goods, drip coffee, and espresso-based drinks like lattes, mochas, and americanos.

The Studio Café's social media presence explains that they serve Duluth-made Underwood Coffee.

They plan to add additional beverages, including tea options. In addition, they plan to add sandwiches and salads to their menu.