Local King Street Coffee Shop ESP Tea & Coffee Turns One Year Old Under New Ownership

ALEXANDRIA, VA–One year ago, ESP Tea & Coffee came under new ownership. Over the past twelve months, owner Erik Muendel and his team have completely renewed King Street coffee shop’s reputation. With new a new name, a new mission, and a vision for the community, here is one year of ESP TEA and COFFEE.

“It’s been a great adventure since we re-launched last year with our new name ESP TEA & COFFEE on Monday, February 1st, 2021. I remember it so well. It snowed early that morning. We were so concerned that we may have to open late or postpone. Fortunately, we still opened on time, and here we are now 365 days later,” says Carl Cabading, General Manager.

What’s new on the menu? ESP has pruned its coffee selections, adding local roasters Blue Elk Coffee and, more recently, Dream Chasers Coffee Co. who are roasting their own beans in house! Customers have enjoyed sipping hand-crafted cortados, espresso macchiatos, comfy flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos, and watching the barista coffee artists at work.

ESP TEA & COFFEE has also put an emphasis on its name, extending its tea offerings and opening North Virginia’s only evening kava & herbal elixir bar. It has also added some colorful artwork to accompany the many murals of Alexandria.

Zen Xaria’s amazing mural on the back wall of ESP Tea and Coffee is still the talk of the town. The surreal and epic landscape, mixed with the cozy characters is available in print or on cute stickers. The shop is featuring other local artists as well: Seth Pitt has an adorable new collection of prints available entitled ‘Eyes on Fire’; Jamie Lester and Nancy Belmont have excellent work available; and the newest featured artist is Ryan Lincicome, whose paintings overflow with character.

“It’s about providing an opportunity for connections and creativity. Let’s slow down a little and build community,” says owner Erik Muendel.

ESP Tea and Coffee is located at 1012 King St. in Old Town. It is open Monday – Thursday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Friday – Sunday from 8:00 AM to 10:30 PM.