Know Where Coffee shop’s coffee reminds Denisse Almeida of the lattes in Miami.
The shop, situated at 1226 W. University Ave., will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a latte art competition tonight.
“I haven’t found coffee like that in Gainesville anywhere else,” Almeida, a 22-year-old UF aerospace engineering senior, said.
Owner and manager Alfonso Guerrero-Villa said the event is free for spectators and $5 for competitors, who can sign up at 6:30 p.m.
“We wanted to showcase what we’ve done,” he said.
The first pours will begin at 7:15 p.m, Guerrero-Villa said, and the collected entry fees will be awarded to the top two or three winners, depending on attendance.
Aside from a steam pitcher, he said, participants will not be allowed to use other tools.
Guerrero-Villa said he serves coffee from global regions such as Guatemala and Rwanda, along with Tampa, the hometown of a coffee roaster who will help judge participants.
“Two baristas go head to head, then judges go and pick between one of those two people,” Guerrero-Villa said.
Siria Gamez, a 26-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior, said she is excited to see what patterns the baristas make.
“I mean, I’m Hispanic, and I think a latte is the closest thing to a café con leche,” she said. “I also like the aesthetic of the latte — you have the heart and all that in the latte.”
