Tonight: Open Source Project Coffee Shop's Grand Opening

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Great minds think alike. With Cartel Coffee Lab one of the only non-chain coffee shops left in Tempe, the past year has seen an explosion of new, artsy coffeehouses in the ASU area. The most recent is Ryan Gentry and Michael Witham's Open Source Project, scheduled for a grand opening at 8 p.m. this evening.

Open Source's Gibraltar goes straight to the heart.

​The shop had a soft launch about three weeks ago, and has already built up a small local following through word-of-mouth and social media. Open source is appropriately funky and eclectic for a collaborative arts venue, with worn, comfy couches and a giant bed-sized bean bag chair that lends itself to catnaps.  

Behind the small coffee bar, former Cartel barista Gianni Assam serves up chai tea, fresh ground drip coffee from Cortez Coffee Company and six varieties of loose leaf tea (available hot or iced) including blood orange and jasmine. Assam says Open Source Project is also the first local coffee house to offer the Gibraltar, described as "the perfect balance between milk and espresso."  The drink was originally created by Blue Bottle Coffee Co. owner James Freeman in San Francisco, and has since spread to other major cities.

Even the cappucino maker here is arty.

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Open Source Project will regularly be open from 7-11 a.m. for coffee, with additional nighttime hours for live music and other events. They're currently not offering food, but pre-packaged goods may be available down the line.

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