I used to come to Vintage Timeless Coffee at its location on NW 164th Street and Penn (now Compass Coffeehouse). About a year ago they upped and moved to 1101 NW 49th Street and Western Avenue. They’re up at the north end of the Western Avenue District right by Bishop McGuinness high school and The Wedge Pizzeria.
The owner Alan K. Swan and his wife have always maintained a strong Facebook and Twitter presence for Vintage, but curiously no website.
The move closer to the center of Oklahoma City has worked out. According to Alan they had more business in their first year at the new location than they’d had after three years on the old location.
The spot on Western has a lot going for it. It’s right-off-the-highway-convenient, with a drive-through, and it’s under The Vine, a small church in a curious, but attractive building.
The vibrant mural at the entrance in the parking lot behind the church, gives Vintage Coffee a quirky, hidden-gem feeling.
An attendant bike rack give you a good idea of the kind of crowd inside. It’s the “organic, local” set. Something of the community goodwill from the church upstairs has seeped through the popcorn ceiling too.
It’s a wholesome place. Lisa Loeb plays on the stereo. They’re not shooting for cool, more like comfortable. Or comforting.
These aren’t coffee fanatics, or espresso masochists. They’re into coffee for the love, not the buzz. There are somewhat hokey quotes about their crush on the walls. I’ve taken to quoting this adapted version of one of those quotes in daily life “Coffee isn’t a drink, it’s a moment.”
Their coffee isn’t roasted in-house, but it’s still good. It’s milk chocolate to Elemental’s or Slinger’s dark chocolate.
Sponsorship for their #FreeCoffeeFriday starts at $80, and of course, coffee is free.
When it comes to coffee, there’s plenty of choices.
Muffins and baked goods.
Vintage Timeless Coffee isn’t the place to bring your hard-nosed out-of-towners for a business meeting. It’s the place to bring your friends to sit around a table, or grab one of the many alcoves or private rooms, called “therapy suites”.
The ambiance is a muted babble, the laughter of children in the next room, the rustle of the pages of a novel, the click of risk pieces against the board.
The creek of an old sofa, spilling its stuffing on the floor.
There’s no shame in camping out over your laptop. Just be friendly and you’ll fit right in.
Vintage Timeless Coffee is cruising at 35 miles-an-hour down Western Avenue. It’s a place to take life slow and easy, one sip at a time.
If you love coffee shops and working on laptops, you’ll want to check out the other reviews in our “I’m Working Here” series:
