Would you pay double digits for a 6oz drink infused with “positive energy?” Good Vibez Café, Ballard’s newest “spiritual hub and coffee centre,” thinks you should.
The café, which opened in November 2024, is stirring up controversy with its high drink prices. Their core menu, priced at market value instead of flat rates, reflects “seasonal fluctuations” in bean pricing. Ordering their flagship drink, the “Latte Experience,” can cost a customer as much as $12.67 before tax and tip. However, the café—and the patrons who regularly pack the house—believe that its pricing structure is a justified reflection of the unique quality and craftsmanship the establishment provides.
Jay K. Simmons, the business’ Head Visionary, spoke to News Adjacent about the menu and its offerings. “It’s more than just coffee and milk,” he says. “We deliver hand-crafted caffeine moments designed to make you feel superior to anyone drinking a normal cup of joe.”
Good Vibez prides itself on their 16-step brewing process that includes hand-stirring, manual grounds sifting, reverse osmosis, and an indigenous land acknowledgement. This approach is what infuses the beans with “complete harmony” and “palatal perfection,” according to the café’s website. “We even let our beans sit in a climate-controlled room for five years to ‘develop character’ before we even think about roasting them,” Simmons remarks.
Anne O. Ying, the front-of-house Talent Manager, emphasizes the role the baristas play in elevating coffee from a mere beverage to the curated experience presented to customers. “Brewing our coffee cannot be done by just anyone. There’s an incredible amount of skill in letting the oversized, high-end espresso machine handle the entire process for you,” Ying explains. “Our esteemed coffee artisans are the secret in cultivating our profoundly ordinary experience.” When asked about how these artisans are compensated fairly for their work, Ying declined to comment.
Simmons even claims that their coffee has the power to change lives. He regales anyone who will listen with stories that customers have described as miracles, earning him the name ‘bean whisperer’ in the community:
“One time, this disabled woman came in and ordered our ethically-sourced, single-origin, hand-pressed nitro cold brew with soy microfoam. After only a couple of sips, she—to my amazement—managed to stand up out of her wheelchair. Even if it was to throw away her very full cup, that, to me, was worth any price. But this one was particularly worth $15.59.”
While some have been critical of the drink prices, many argue that the model is a refreshingly hot take in an otherwise lukewarm industry. “I think it’s really cool when places subvert expectations,” Shelly Anne, a regular at Good Vibez, says. “You see the same tired millennial-beige interior design with retro menu boards and Monstera plants and you think your shitty drip coffee will cost $3.49, only to find out it’s $8.83. We need more examples of counterculture like that in this city.”
Some patrons, such as Liv Laf-Luhve, genuinely believe the superior quality. “It tastes so much better when the ingredients on the menu are listed in French,” they explain. “There’s a certain ‘jenny-say-what’ to it that makes waiting 27 minutes for my cup so worth it [sic].”
Other customers simply appreciate the confidence boost, such as Burton Ernie. “I want my coffee to be a symbol of just how much better I am than everyone else,” he says, with coffee grounds in his teeth.
Simmons encourages skeptics to grab a Latte Experience at Good Vibez Café for themselves, located where the one Black-owned business used to be. Open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays when the “vibes are up.”
