Loving cup: Spearhead Coffee in Paso Robles sees coffee as an experience 

The owners of new Paso Robles café, Spearhead Coffee don’t just see coffee as work fuel, they see it as an experience, even a worldview—something with every bit as much depth as a fine glass of wine, a gourmet meal, or an expertly crafted cocktail.

According to Spearhead co-owner Jeremy Sizemore, it all starts with the perfect beans.

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• PHOTO COURTESY OF SABRINA KLOMP
• QUALITY, PRECISION, AND COMMUNITY: The owners of Spearhead Coffee furnished their café with repurposed materials and wood. According to co-owner Jeremy Sizemore, they aimed to make their café a creative space—somewhere people could gather and be inspired.

“Spearhead is endeavoring to get the best coffee from the world,” Sizemore said. “All coffee is rated, so we’re trying to shoot for getting what they call ‘90 plus’ coffee, which have been rated the best coffees in the world.”

Spearhead’s devotion to each individual component of the drink is emblematic of the café’s holistic view of coffee and its culture. It’s not enough for Sizemore to just use the best beans; Spearhead also roasts the coffee in-house for freshness and even makes sure the beans are sourced ethically.

“We’re all really passionate about coffee,” Sizemore said. “We love the overall culture of it—of course the coffee itself, but also the worldview involved. It’s about our local community, but also our global community.”

Sizemore stressed that he believes that coffee can be a source of good in the world. When it’s fairly sourced, coffee-growing communities can benefit greatly from the bean business, Sizemore said.

“If you do coffee the right way, there’s a way to really positively affect the world,” Sizemore said. “It can give people a real boost in their economy, a boost in their personal lives, a boost in their family— if it’s done right.”

Sizemore and the other owners of Spearhead are currently working directly with growers in Haiti and El Salvador, which could potentially have their economies boosted by the fair-trade coffee business.

“We just love that aspect of coffee,” Sizemore said. “What’s really cool about it is that we’re able to help people’s lives thousands of miles away with a simple beverage.”

Community, both local and global, seems very important to Sizemore; he hopes Spearhead will cultivate its own community in the gourmet-minded, foodie culture of Paso Robles. Spearhead feels just as obsessed with people as it is with coffee.

“We don’t just treat people as customers, but as guests—we really value people,” Sizemore said. “They’re going to get great coffee and they’re going to be treated like family.”

Spearhead Coffee is located at 619 12th St. in Paso Robles. Call 296-3327 or check spearheadcoffee.com for more information.

“Our customers can expect some really good coffee,” Sizemore said. “They might not get exactly what they’re used to if they’re coming in from a Starbucks culture. Here, they’re really going to taste the beans, and they’re going to taste the quality.”

Fast fact

Women’s History Month is right around the corner, and the county’s public libraries are aiming to make this a month to remember. All throughout March, libraries around SLO County are celebrating Women’s History Month with a panoply of free activities and events including film screenings, panel discussions, and radio programs.

An extensive event listing is available on the events calendar at slolibrary.org, but here are a few of the month’s highlights:

During the first week of March, the Atascadero library will be home to living representations of famous women such as Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Julia Morgan—when are you going to have another chance to talk to someone dressed as the great Rosa Parks?

All month long, Santa Maria’s library will be playing two-minute excerpts of Vicki Leon’s “The Fair Sex Calendar: Today In History” every hour, on the hour. Leon’s radio program highlights true stories of women who made waves in the past.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, the San Luis Obispo Library will feature A League of Their Own, a documentary about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The film’s creator, Kelly Candaele will introduce and discuss the documentary which inspired the 1992 Tom Hanks film of the same name.

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