The Coffee Ethic

Thank you for the perfect coffee and excellent service! An extra thanks to the vegan barista (sorry about not remembering his name) who suggested vegan food options. Springfield rolls up its streets on a Sunday for the most part but we found a most excellent option for vegan pizza at BYOPizza!

Despite the numerous reviews expressing a more enthusiastic level of support, I found The Coffee Ethic to be totally adequate but far from mind-​blowing. The coffee was certainly good, but came in a smaller serving than some other options in Springfield and at a slightly higher price. As for ambiance, the décor struck a pleasant balance between minimalism and traditionalism, but the space felt rather cramped — and not just because it was a busy Friday night. I won’t go out of my way to avoid this place, but neither will I seek it out.

LOVED THIS COFFEE SHOP. If I lived in Springfield (or anywhere remotely close), I would frequent this shop. Their coffee is PERFECT. I loved my iced coffee, and my husband’s latte was delicious. The espresso was sweet, not bitter. The chocolate notes in my coffee were noticeable and delicious. I just wish I could come order coffee, and sit for hours, while reading a book at the attached library next door! AHH. I love this shop.

Was told I can’t get espresso added to my iced coffee cuz it won’t taste good. Uh isn’t it the customers decision if they want it to be bitter or not?! How you going to tell me I can’t get something I’m going to pay for? Not a fan of this place. Never had a problem at ANY coffee shop ever and I buy coffee every single day

Great coffee with a great team of folks serving it up. My favorite is the cold-​brew coffee… try it!

Really GOOD coffee. Sweets pricey but very good!!! Nice atmosphere and music. Pleasant people behind the counter.

Good atmosphere, and very friendly staff… But coffee was very bitter (even for someone who likes strong cofffee) and the Chai I ordered was bland. We didn’t have anything else so I can’t say all of their things are bad. And maybe it was just a bad coffee batch. But I don’t know if I’ll come back here :/​on the positive side, everything was very clean and it felt calm inside. Seemed like a good place if you need to study or want to calm down and read or something. The only sweetener they have is splenda.

I think sometimes people that work in restaurants and hotels forget they are all part of the hospitality industry. My friend and I decided try something different than our normal downtown haunt, and he suggested we try The Coffee Ethic. When I walked in, there was a man sitting immediately inside the store roasting beans, and it smelled wonderful. He also greeted me and welcomed me to the store.
When I looked at the menu, I saw the prices for a cup of Joe and the price for a cup To Go. What I didn’t see was a price for a bottomless cup of coffee. Instead, they charge 50 ¢ for refills, and the cups are pretty small to begin with. When I went back past the man who first welcomed me, I said to him that I was disappointed there was no option for a bottomless cup of coffee. His response was, «we can’t give it away.» I just wanted to slap him over the head, but I did reply with, «Yeah, that’s why we pay more for those types of drinks.»
I’ve never had their coffee, and with the attitude of the person that greeted me (who I believe was the manager), I don’t know if I ever will. Who knows, I may try them at some point, but if the owners or managers or any of the staff would like to contact me, I would welcome the opportunity to hear them out.

Cool little coffee shop in downtown Springfield, MO. Bit pricey but the staff was friendly and the coffee was excellent.

One of the very best decaf coffees I have ever had. It was crowded and the wait was long, but it was well worth it.

Coffee Ethic makes the best «Flat White» outside of Australia that I’ve tasted! After living in Australia for 10+ years I’ve been spoiled with great baristas. However, whatever kind of coffee you like, you won’t find it better than at Coffee Ethic. It doesn’t matter if it’s Nate, Dakota, Jesse, or Cara lovingly preparing your coffee. Also don’t miss Hanna’s Pastries prepared on site, simply delicious.
Stephen J Young

Excellent coffee, atmosphere and location. Best in Springfield and as good as you’ll find in even most large cities. Locally roasted (on the premises). Baristas know their stuff and you won’t be disappointed. THE coffee stop in Springfield. Even with some other worthy local competition, the Coffee Ethic stands out as the best.

The Coffee Ethic is THE place in Springfield for coffee. There are great alternatives for coffee «drinks» and coffee containing items, but for COFFEE, for ESPRESSO, for an honest to God CAPPUCCINO, you go to The Coffee Ethic in Springfield. In fact, this is where you go in the whole damn state of Missouri (and Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, etc.)
The owner and staff are coffee fanatics. They live and breathe coffee. They roast it, prepare it, brew it, serve it, and they do it with a dedication that is beyond compare. I have on many occasions had a barista pull a shot of espresso or foam some milk for my cappuccino and then DUMP IT OUT because they were not satisfied with what they had produced. They will give NOTHING but the best to their customers.
I have become a coffee aficionado thanks to the owner, Tom, and his staff of amazing baristas. I love this place, and I am there almost daily.
And let’s not forget real, honest to God IRISH COFFEE done perfectly. An amazing treat.
Oh, and if you totally dig baked goods, then Hannah will satisfy your sweet tooth with killer muffins, cinnamon rolls, etc. She’s the bomb.

Delicious coffee!!! The service of the staff was awesome … I was pleasantly surprised with how great my latte was. If you are in the Springfield area it is worth the stop :)

Hands-​down my favorite coffee shop for years now; here are my reasons why:
1) My all-​time favorite lattes. When I first tried Coffee Ethic years ago, I was under the delusion that a latte needed to taste like an exotically flavored dessert, and I was underwhelmed. I’ve since learned to love the taste of good coffee that needs no disguise. If I’m feeling frisky, though, I’ll still order a vanilla latte instead of a plain latte.
2) Mochas made with Askinosie chocolate — a dream for this dark chocolate lover. I actually think the mocha is a bit less sweet than the vanilla latte.
3) In-​house roasted beans. Their Rwandan beans are the first of many coffees that have made me finally find my homemade coffee just as enjoyable as coffee purchased out.
4) Chill atmosphere. I would much rather sit and have a quiet conversation or work on a laptop at Coffee Ethic (conveniently located next door to the library) than The Mudhouse, which is often full of noisy groups.
5) Don’t feel like coffee? Then you can have a craft beer, on tap!

I have a very hard time finding coffee I like. You know how it is: your first latte is from Starbucks and then every latte thereafter gets compared to it. So yes, I compare every coffee to Starbucks, even though I know Starbucks isn’t the best, most gourmet thing out there. It is what it is.
Having said that, The Coffee Ethic makes a darn good mocha latte. I mean, the best I’ve tried in Springfield. I would go here over Starbucks any day, and most likely would if I was a local and had that opportunity.
The location downtown is perfect. Right on the square, so if you’re an atmosphere nerd like me, you’d appreciate the view. My only regret with coming here is that I didn’t sample any of their food items. Maybe next time I’m in town. And since The Coffee Ethic is my new coffee place, there will definitely be a next time.

Honestly, I was surprised at how awesome Springfield is and The Coffee Ethic adds to the awesomeness immensely. I’ve decided all I need in a town is good coffee, craft beer and nice people and I’m set. I came in late Saturday morning on my last day in town and was initially delighted to see a Pride rally happening in the little outdoor space on my walk over… then less delighted to see crazy religious zealot protesters right in front of The Coffee Ethic. I quickly escaped their loud doomsday proclamations and slipped in to the cool, modern space inside. I opted for their iced coffee and a blueberry muffin and settled in at a table to relax and read a book.
The iced coffee was quite good, though it was just a little on the watery side while I prefer a more viscous/​strong brew. It had distinct caramel notes and wasn’t bitter at all though, so I was pleased. The muffin was also OK. Not great, not terrible, just OK. They clearly know what they’re doing with coffee and they care about what they do, so they’re a-​ok in my book.
The reason for rounding my 3.5 star review up to 4 is because I saw a weird guy come in and wander up to the counter and ask the guy working «hey, what do you think of those signs out there?» (referring to the crazy religious group) and you could tell from his voice he was trying to start a conversation — my guess was that he was in agreement with that group — to which the dude working professionally replied that he wasn’t entirely sure what he was talking about, as he hadn’t been outside in a while, but what’s the weather like? is it hot? I guess a big part of why I don’t work in customer facing roles anymore is that I would have been super challenged to not have yelled «what is wrong with them?! why does anyone care what other people do with their personal lives?!» so the fact this dude was able to re-​route the conversation was impressive.

Fan-​frickin-​tastic.
Ever since I started traveling for work to Springfield on the regular, it seems that the Queen City finds another establishment to impress me. Well, The Coffee Ethic absolutely blows my mind. This is a top tier coffee shop, Springfield or otherwise. You’d be wise to check it out.
First of all and most importantly, they pour an incredibly high quality product that they’re knowledgeable about to boot! Whether you want a pour-​over or an espresso drink, they’ve got you covered. It looks like they’re currently serving beans from PT’s Coffee out of Topeka, KS. Learn that name, coffee geeks. You’ll be hearing it a lot more in the future. Oh, and they have beer, wine and liquor, if that’s how you’d prefer to start your day.
The atmosphere is on point. I absolutely love their coffee bar, with its Frank Gehry-​esque façade made of curved dark woods. Table options range from private spots for one to larger spots for meetings spaces, and even communal tables with reclaimed wood beams as seats. With great lighting (a mix of natural and store-​bought) and brick walls, this place is like a sexy sexy loft that happens to sell great coffee.
As I write the review, I go back and forth on the music. Sometimes it’s great. Currently being played? Spin Doctors, which isn’t even good ironically. But, that’s why Jesus gave us headphones, right? Still, I can’t help but think that a consistently solid music program would make this place the abso-​frickin-​lutely best coffee shop on the planet.
I approve.

I am not originally from Springfield, but I attended college there and one of my favorite places in Springfield is The Coffee Ethic. Prior to living in SGF I was not big into coffee but a friend invited me along to go to The Ethic with him. One of the BEST decisions of my life!
The mocha is excellent but my fave is the regular house coffee. It’s cheap yet exquisite. The Coffee Ethic is my first stop whenever I visit Springfield. I am addicted.

Having tried all the coffee shops that Kansas City had to offer, this coffee fanatic decided to was time to try out a new city’s espresso.
I chose 3 coffee shops to visit in Springfield and The Coffee Ethic was my first stop and also my favorite stop.
The song «Runaway Train» was playing as I walked in, a soothing classic. I ordered a small latte for here. The guy behind me asked a lot of basic questions, and the barista answered them all patiently and correctly.
I loved all the wooden tables and exposed brick throughout the shop. A sign read that they serve PT’s coffee that was the 2009 roaster of the year. My latte had a rosetta in the foam and tasted perfectly smooth. Not bitter in the least, it was a perfect latte.
What impressed me the most was that the barista checked up on all her tables like a waitress, asking her patrons if they needed another glass of water or she would clear their dishes away for them.
The Coffee Ethic: You were my favorite coffee shop in Springfield.