<\/p>\n
Loop\u2019s Coffee House and Bistro has opened in Dolores at 795 Railroad Ave.<\/p>\n
Owner Mark Looper took over the former Pony Expresso building and, along with his girlfriend Misty Henderson, remodeled it to make room for more tables. A newly installed bar with tall stools gives the revived shop a classic bistro feel and is meant to inspire coffee shop conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a lot of work, and feels great to open the doors,\u201d said Looper, who was a former partner of the previous shop, which closed down in December.<\/p>\n
The outdoor patio and added indoor seating \u201ccreates a comfortable place for customers,\u201d added Henderson. There is also a convenient drive-through window.<\/p>\n
Loop\u2019s serves every type of coffee drink you can imagine, plus breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, soups, salads, and smoothies. An expanded menu will be coming out in the summer that includes ice cream, burgers, barbecue and regular specials.<\/p>\n
Owning a coffee shop \u201chas been my dream,\u201d Looper said. \u201cThe community has been very supportive of my plan to reopen. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing all my old customers and meeting new ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Longtime barista Dakota Willis was hired back, and additional staff will be brought in soon to handle the usual rush of regulars, Dolores campus students, snowbirds, skiers, cyclists and tourists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve missed Mark\u2019s coffee, I\u2019m so glad he\u2019s back,\u201d said return regular Jason Sutherland.<\/p>\n
Looper learned the coffee trade in Europe, making hundreds of cappuccinos per day at a shop on the Rhine River, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Europeans come in, I love making it in their style \u2013 extra strong, half-and-half instead of milk for cappuccinos.\u201d<\/p>\n