Potheads Coffee Opens on Ridge Avenue With Pour-Your-Own Roasts, Events

Potheads Coffee opened to the public the weekend of Jan. 16, 2026, bringing a new two-floor gathering spot to Ridge Avenue. Owners Chris Watson and Jim Roberts converted a turnkey Ridge Avenue space into a roughly 2,200 square-foot café with seating spread across both levels, a menu of espresso-based drinks, and a focus on events and neighborhood partnerships.

The shop's menu blends familiar café staples with a hands-on twist. In addition to espresso drinks, lattes, cortados, and frappés, Potheads offers pour-your-own selections in light, medium, and dark roasts, letting customers select roast levels and fill their own containers. Seasonal specialty flavors, breakfast items such as egg sandwiches, hash browns, and pastries round out the morning options. The owners plan to introduce latte flights as a tasting feature, expanding choices for people who like to compare roast profiles and milk-art play.

Branding at Potheads leans playful, with flavor names and in-store design aimed at creating a relaxed, slightly irreverent vibe. That tone carries into the café's community activity: Watson and Roberts are positioning the space as more than a place to buy coffee by programming open mic nights, community events, and local sponsorships. These events are intended to draw artists, musicians, students, and neighborhood groups, giving the Ridge Avenue corridor another venue for evening gatherings and creative exchange.

Practical value for customers is straightforward. Pour-your-own roasts offer control over roast level and quantity, which appeals to home brewers and anyone who wants to try multiple profiles. The two-floor layout increases seating during peak morning and weekend hours, and the breakfast offerings make the café a viable grab-and-go stop or a sit-down morning meeting spot. Planned features like latte flights will support tastings and education, while the possibility of a future liquor license could extend evening hours and program options.

Potheads will promote hours, event schedules, and any ticketed performances through its social channels, and community members are encouraged to follow those pages for updates. For local coffee lovers, roasters, and performers, the arrival of Potheads adds a new node in the neighborhood coffee scene and another venue for programming and casual meet-ups.

As the owners roll out latte flights and refine their events calendar, Ridge Avenue will gain a hands-on coffee option that aims to double as a community hub. Watch the café's social channels for opening-hour details, special tastings, and the first slate of sponsored events.