Breggo's Haiku Contest

Anyone who works at a store that sells Breggos is eligible to participate in their Haiku Contest. The winning entry gets a dozen free Breggos sandwiches! Naturally, Jefferson and I have submitted our entries.

Here's what we came up with:

One minute thirty...
Counting down the seconds 'till,
Breggos in my mouth.

by Julie

Man, I'm starvin dude.
Check it yo! They got Breggos!
Hunger problem solved.

by Jefferson

Yeah, yeah, I know. Jefferson's is better.

If you want to see all the entries, become a fan of Breggos on Facebook, but only give a thumbs up to ours (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Wish us luck!

Contest ends May 15th. We'll let you know if we win anything.

Freshly baked Breggos being prepared for delivery to your local coffee shop. Yum!

New monthly post - Java Junkies!

Welcome to the first of our new monthly posts to the Read, Write & Brew blog...

Java Junkies

Since we've opened up our store, we've met many many interesting and wonderful members of our local community. We've loved getting to know them all, and we think you would too. So this new monthly post is dedicated to all our interesting regulars. Come in often enough, and perhaps you'll get talked into getting your mugshot and story featured on our blog site too!

Without further ado, may we introduce to you Edwin and Pauline Ellis.

Edwin and Pauline regularly donate great books to Read, Write & Brew's book fund. Ladies, if you visit our craft section, and find fabulous knitting, sewing and crochet books from the 60's and 70's, chances are that these awesome finds originally belonged to Pauline. You've got to come in and check them out. You know how everything old is new again? Well if you love retro, and think yourself crafty, you'll love these books.

But enough about the books, and back to Edwin and Pauline. This lovely married couple of 4 years have spent their last 3 years as residents of Golden Colorado, and are originally from North Carolina.

Edwin is a Korean War Veteran, and a retired fireman, after 35 years of service.

Pauline worked in a textile factory, and her hobbies include crochet and reading.

Their favorite TV shows are, The Price Is Right, Jeopardy, and Wheel Of Fortune.

We're really grateful to you Edwin and Pauline - not only for your service to this country and your local community, but we know how hard it is for you to lug those books into our store, and yet you keep them coming! We'd like to thank you for these reasons, and thanks for being Read, Write & Brews' first Java Junkies!

Featuring the LIVE musical stylings of Jeff Brinkman!

A reminder to everyone that our official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting event is being held this Thursday, with free food and drink samplings, as well as door prizes to give away to all who come help us celebrate.

And now, we also have some awesome LIVE music lined up for you to enjoy too.

Jeff Brinkman lives in Boulder Colorado, and has recorded his first album, 'To The Bones'.

jeffbrinkmanmusic.com

Joe Kovack of Marquee Magazine has this to say about Jeff:
"Every once in a while there is a musician who emerges with a genuine and honest approach to their craft, and whose music accurately depicts that unadulterated simplicity. With his debut album To The Bones, Jeff Brinkman places himself in that category"

Click here to sample some of the songs from the album and get a sneak peek at what you'll be hearing if you can make it to our Ribbon Cutting Thursday.

Even if you can't make it Thursday, support your local Colorado musicians. If you like what you hear, please buy his new album. My guess is that Jeff will be the next Dave Mathews, and you'll wanna be able to say, "I knew him back when...".

Read, Write & Brew

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

Thursday April 8th, 5pm - 7pm

CLOSED: Easter Sunday

We are closed for Easter Sunday.

Hope everyone has a great Easter with their families.

That's how we're spending ours.

See ya Monday!

Read, Write & Brew, and SMOOTHIES!

Now not only can you read a book, write an email, and have a cup of 'brew' at Read, Write & Brew, but you can also have a cup of creamy, frosted, refreshing deliciousness as well. We call 'em Ice-Creamers (because they're made with ice and are m-mm-creamy good)... but we're open to other quirky name suggestions, so if you can think of something cool, let us know. We tried to brain storm name ideas, but drank to many 'ice-creamers' and got brain freeze, and couldn't come up with anything we're really in love with.

Jefferson trying to think of a cool name for our smoothies, while suffering brain freeze.

We decided to go with 'Island Oasis' for our smoothies, because their products contain the highest percentage of fruit content in the smoothie category. They claim to pay more for their fruit to ensure their product is of the highest quality. We've had a few (hundred) taste tests of their smoothies, and if taste is anything to go by - then they're tellin' the truth.

Their products are pasteurized, contain less sugar than other smoothie products out there, and contain 100% of the RDA of Vitamin C.

Lookie! Now doesn't that look soooo good...
... and, whhhaaaatttttttt, only $3.90! Now that's a refreshing luxury that anyone can treat themselves to. And we're not talking just slap it in a cup $3.90. We're talkin' make it all fancy with whipped cream on top and stuff fancy.

The fruit flavors you have to choose from include: strawberry, banana, peach, and mango. Have them on their own, or mix-n-match. We also have ice cream and non fat yogurt, if you want more of a "strawberries 'n cream" kinda twist. Need caffeine, not fruit? We hear ya. That's why we also make coffee smoothies, with real shots of espresso.

We've got the patio set up all nice like, with umbrellas and tables and chairs, and great views of the Golden Foothills. We're far enough away from 6th Avenue that you can't hear the constant shushing of the traffic, but instead you'll be serenaded with the music coming from the speaker we have positioned so that you can hear it outside.

Keep up to date with the weather channel, and the next nice day comin' up, you've just got to relax on the patio with an ice cold smoothie... and on that note (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) it's meant to be 60 degrees and sunny this Sunday. Better come on over and take advantage.

See ya there.

Come join us on APRIL 8th for our Grand Opening Event!

Read, Write & Brew will have its official 'Grand Opening' in conjunction with the Business After Hours event at Heritage Plaza. We'll be open for an extra hour, until 7pm, and will have free food and drink samplings, and door raffle giveaways. Other Heritage Plaza businesses will also be open with entertainment and giveaways of their own. The official Ribbon Cutting event will take place at 5.30pm. We'd love to see you all there for this special occasion!

Personalize your own free invitation

FREE FOOD! Soup Taste Testing on St Patty's Day

Upcoming Events

Secret Menu Item

Fancy yourself as one of those 'in the know' kinda people, do ya? Well, by logging onto our Blog site and reading this post, you actually are! So here's a little something for ya... a secret menu item only people who read this blog post are 'in the know' about.

We have a lot of tasty syrups to choose from at our store - but hands down the best flavor we have is definitely 'toffee nut'. It's not written up on our menu board, but ask for it, and you'll get the special nod, wink, and delicious sweet caramelly toffee nuttiness added to your drink for just 45 cents.

Why keep such a great flavor a secret and not promote it for everyone to try? Well, we are going to add it to the menu eventually - for sure! It'll become our best seller we reckon. We just like the idea of a secret menu, and are curious to see which of our customers read our blog site.

Children's Reading Time

Bring the kids in on Tuesday February 2nd for Children's Reading time!

Starts at 10am.

Katies Coaching Circle

Katie Smith will be hosting her meet up group at Read, Write & Brew on Tuesday February 2nd at 7.00pm.

Katie will be leading discussion and coaching on various topics related to living a more relaxed life, one focused on creating what you REALLY want.

The evening will consist of a short discussion on a particular topic and then mini coaching sessions for individuals interested in moving forward in their lives.

If you're interested in creating the future you desire, this group is for you. Maybe it's a project you've had on the back burner, or wanting to learn to live from a place of joy and acceptance vs. struggle and stress, or maybe you're in the midst of a career change. If so, this is the group that can help create positive movement forward in your life.

When: Tuesday, February 2nd
Cost: $1

Time: 7.00pm - 8.30pm

To register for this event go to
meetup.com (The Coaching Corner), or
email Katie@katiebsmith.com.

Who is Katie Smith?
Katie is a local Golden resident, who is a member of the International Coach Federation.

"For over 15 years, I have consulted and facilitated the growth of executive teams. Consulting with industry leaders and professionals seeking Director to C-level roles in privately held organizations.

My hands-on approach is direct, open and thought-provoking; I build relationships built on accountability and trust.

As a member of the International Coach Federation and a graduate of Coach University, additionally, I have been teaching yoga and meditation for 15 years. I use these tools, as appropriate, with my clients to manage stress and live a more balanced happy life."

To find out more about Katie, go to www.katiebsmith.com

FREE FOOD! Breggo's Taste Testing

To those of you who already love 'em, come try all the different kinds.

To those who haven't tried them,
and don't even know what a Breggo is - you gotta come in and try them.

They're like a cross between a calzone and an omelet.
They're baked fresh from scratch in Lyons Colorado,
and delivered fresh to 'Read, Write & Brew'
(the only place you can get them in Golden).

Save the date, skip breakfast, and come in and have a try!

Saturday January 23rd, from 8.30am.

Free pastries today 12/27 only!

Sunday pastry special for our online followers only! Today only, Sunday 12/27, purchase any coffee drink, and get a free pastry of your choice. Choose from scones, pretzels, twists, muffins, bagels, and more. Just mention you read about it on our blog and its on us!

Get up to $20 in store credit for an old bookshelf!

We need bookshelves.

You need your daily caffeine fix.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
or at the very least, a you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours scenario.

At the moment we're a 'coffee shop that also has used books'. We want to be a 'used bookstore that also has a coffee shop', and have all the books to be just that, but we're desperately short on shelves. We can't afford to go out and buy a whole lot of new shelves to fill our space, and besides, we like the mismatched shelf look we've got goin' on, so prefer our shelves used.

See what I mean. Cosy, right!

So, we have a proposition for anyone out there with a bookshelf at home that's in the way, collecting dust, and not really of much use.

Bring in a bookshelf in exchange for
$20 in store credit at Read, Write & Brew!

Yes, we have heard of the saying, 'Beggers can't be choosers',
but we do have some criteria attached to what we'll accept.

In order to get the full $20 store credit, shelves must be:

- wood (any kind), or if they're not wooden, a faux 'wood look' is fine. Painted, metal our colorful plastic shelves just don't gel with the 'vibe' we're trying to create.
- around 6 foot tall (give or take a little)
- sturdy enough for us not to have to worry about it toppling on any of our customers as they browse
- in at least 'fair' condition. We have no problem accepting shelves with scratches and dings in them, but please don't bring us anything that looks like it's had a severe beating.
- we'll also accept shelves less than 6' tall, and do have uses for shelves around waist height. We'll offer you $10 store credit for these kinds of shelves.

If you're wondering about a shelf in your home, but don't know if it's what we're after, come in and talk to us or take some photo's of it, describe it a little, and send us an email - and we can let you know whether it's worth your while bringing it in. Our email address is read.write.brew@gmail.com.

You can spend your store credit all at once, or spread it out over multiple visits. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Shop local this Christmas at Read, Write & Brew

Wanting to buy your friends and family gifts they can actually use this Christmas, and not sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust? Well, if you come into Read, Write & Brew, you'll find lots and lots of great Christmas gift ideas that are fun, use-able, and best of all they're all made in Colorado, so you'll be keeping your money within the community you live.

From original one of a kind hand made Christmas cards with embelishments (for the same price as a machine printed card elsewhere)...

snow globe Christmas card with real moving 'beads' of snow, which doubles as a gift card holder

card that holds a packet of cocoa mix

... to bookmarks and journals and candles...

... knitted cup and teapot cosies

... and green sleeves...
... to hand made soap (all natural ingredients and oils - and smell heavenly)...
... and natural hand made lotions and bath gels.


With so many options - local, natural and hand made - you can do all your Christmas stocking shopping in the time it takes us to make you an eggnog latte!



EXTENDED SATURDAY OPENING HOURS!

Just an added note: Read, Write & Brew is now open 6am till 6pm on Saturdays! So now our opening hours are the same from Monday to Saturday.

And don't forget - rain, hail or snow - we're here Sundays from 8am till 2pm.

See ya soon!

Open Thanksgiving!

Family driving you crazy? Need your coffee fix? Just need to get out of the house and nothing else is open?? Come on down to RWB, we will be open Thanksgiving Day from 8am-2pm. Get a pumpkin spice latte before the tryptophan puts you to sleep on the sofa watching the Lions lose their annual Turkey-Day game!

NEW! Fresh, local Golden baked pastries.

We just got our first delivery this morning of crumble in your mouth, flaky, gooey, oh so delicious pastries. We're so happy with them, we couldn't wait to write this blog post to tell you all about them.

Let us introduce you to our newest members to the Read, Write & Brew family, shall we...

... say hello to caramel apple, raspberry crumble and honey almond bars.
Dense, yet not too rich, they're the perfect accompaniment to any latte when you want a little something extra on the side to satisfy that sweet tooth, for just $2.10 each.

In the mood for a cup-a-tea and a scone perhaps? Well, choose between English with currants, cranberry orange, lemon poppy seed, pumpkin pecan, and choc chip scones - all for only $2.60 each (and the size of your hand!).


And if you're in the mood for something sweet and super flaky - look no further than our pastry sticks. Choose between the almond pretzel, cinnamon pecan stick, or cherry twist - just $3.00 each for a delectable treat.

We're trying to keep it local here at 'Read, Write & Brew', by ordering all our supplies from local Coloradorans as much as we possibly can. But, when it comes to the supplier we have chosen for our pastries - well it don't get much more local than Golden. They're literally just down the road (I could ride my bike to their kitchen from the store and be there in 10 minutes - and I'm really unfit and pregnant), all their goods are baked fresh every day in Golden, and only wholesome good quality ingredients are used. You won't find any high fructose corn syrup or other such ingredients in these. They're the real deal (good enough that Whole Foods is also one of their customers, as a matter of fact).

If you'd like to order in bulk for your next function, give us two days notice (if you can, one day is OK though), and we'll be sure to order them in, same day baked, for you to pick up and wow your guests with.

Try one and post a comment about what you think....

New weekend opening hours

So, now that we have been opened for a month (already!) we have discovered when you guys like to shop our store. Ya'll love coming in on Saturday mornings, and tend to visit less frequently on Sundays - so in response, we have decided to shift our Saturday hours, and cut back on Sundays.

On Saturdays we're now open from 6am until 2pm, and Sundays 8am until 2pm.

Thanks for a great first month everyone. Keep spreading the word of mouth for us, and come back an visit us again soon!

Come see the creation of the mural we're having painted at Read, Write & Brew

Talented tattoo artist and friend of ours, Wayne, is currently in action painting up a mural on the bare strip of ceiling above the Read, Write & Brew counter.

The theme is 'A Timeline of the Written Word', in keeping with the 'read' and 'write' in 'Read, Write & Brew'. We'll incorporate the drinking of coffee in the timeline also - and yes, our favorite dudes the kokopelli's are featured prominently in the piece as well (just for a bit of fun).

Here's a sneak peek of his awesome work so far, but to see more - you gotta come into the store. Looks so much better in real life. If you like Wayne's style, maybe also ask him about that tattoo you've been thinking of getting done while you're in? Even if you don't want a tattoo, ask him about one anyway. He has a really cool Irish accent, so you'll probably just want to hear him talk a lot and that's as good a topic as any.

NEW to Read, Write & Brew - Breggos!

Breggo's are a cross between a sandwich and a calzone. They're delicious, hand made in Lyons Colorado, and now available for your munching pleasure at Read, Write & Brew!

At $4.75, they're a great value breakfast or lunch option (and quite filling too).

Choose from:


Ham Breggo
Scrambled eggs, ham, potatoes, cheddar and colby cheese.




Veggie Breggo
Fresh spinach, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar and colby cheese.



Spicy Sausage
Spicy Italian sausage, scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar and colby cheese.



The Southwest Breggo (our fave)
Spicy green chiles, corn, black beans, scrambled eggs, cheddar and colby cheese.



Customers who have tried them so far LOVE them, and we're the only place you can get them in Golden! Great to eat in, or take out (and so easy to eat out of a bag if you're on the go and don't have time for a sit down breakfast or lunch).

Next time you're in - you've got to try one!

New artwork in-store by talented Colorado artist!

If you haven't been in the store for the past few days, you haven't yet seen the new artwork we have just gotten in. The first of many talented artists to be featured on our walls.

They're produced by a talented artist who lives in Manitou Springs Colorado, Liese (Martin) Chavez. Her illustrations are hand drawn with ink and other media like watercolor, acrylic and colored pencil onto vintage paper with various poems and excerpts from foreign literature printed onto it. Her illustrations are done with a free hand - no pencil sketches beforehand.


We've put the artwork up for your viewing pleasure, or for purchase to decorate the walls in your own home, or that of a friends perhaps. What a great one-of-a-kind Christmas gift to give this season.

We have a selection of original artworks (not prints) to choose from, selling at $22 each. They're mounted on black card stock measuring 8x10 inches and are suitable for framing. The framed pictures on the walls of the store are also available for purchase, at $32 each.