Holy Water Coffee is an independent neighborhood coffee shop at 712 E 100 S in Salt Lake City, Utah, between the University of Utah and downtown. It is known for specialty espresso, alternative milk drinks, matcha, chai, loose-leaf teas, local baked goods, attentive service, and a warm, refined interior.
The shop draws college students, nearby apartment residents, and loyal locals who value a thoughtfully made drink. Its compact espresso-bar format combines carefully prepared coffee with a community-centered atmosphere, making it especially suitable for a quick coffee, a relaxed meeting, a date, or a quiet break.
Location and opening hours
Holy Water Coffee is located at 712 E 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, United States, in the East Central neighborhood. The shop is a few blocks off downtown on 100 South and sits between the University of Utah and Downtown SLC.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Thursday | 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Friday | 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM - 3:30 PM |
The shop is open daily, with earlier weekday opening hours and a slightly later weekend start. Some listings summarize the schedule as Monday through Sunday, 7am to 4pm, while the detailed schedule lists 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM on weekdays and 8 AM - 3:30 PM on weekends.
The atmosphere and interior
Holy Water is warm, tasteful, and refined. You walk into Holy Water and the first thing you see is the round serving counter covered in white textured tile. Everything is clean and in its place.
The interior is bright, welcoming, cozy, and thoughtfully designed, creating an atmosphere suited to both work and relaxation. Reviews describe a sleek, plant-filled interior, plenty of natural light, and a clean, minimalist bar setup with quality espresso equipment.
The space has seating at the bar and at tables, with a corner large enough to accommodate up to eight people with two tables. Full windows bring in substantial north light, and the restrooms are all gender and very well decorated.
One visitor described the shop as a “first impression shop” or “date shop” because it is beautiful, quiet, and refined. The same visitor felt that the limited seating made it less suitable for staying for two hours with a laptop, while considering it a good place for a date, business meeting, or conversation.
Coffee and espresso program
Holy Water focuses on specialty espresso and carefully prepared coffee. The coffee is a blend from the award-winning Olympia Roasters.
The espresso program offers two distinct profiles: one chocolatey and nutty, the other wilder and fruit-forward. The menu includes classic drinks alongside rotating seasonal specialties.
“We want the coffee to shine,” Erin said. “So, if we’re adding something to it, it has to complement the quality, not cover it up.”
Visitors have described the coffee service as seamless, with a variety of flavors and roasts. One reviewer said that the different coffee flavors were spot on and brewed to perfection, while another reported that the coffee was really good every single time.
Espresso drinks
The coffee menu includes espresso-based classics such as lattes and cortados. A cortado with oat milk was described as well made and served with beautiful latte art in a sturdy green glass.
Another visitor ordered a mocha and appreciated that it was not excessively sugary. The drink was served open with a heart design, and the shop left it up to the customer to decide how much sugar to add.
Flavored options include bourbon brown sugar and cinnamon, vanilla bean, and simple syrup. Brown sugar is also available for customers who prefer to control the sweetness of their drink.
The milk offerings include a house-made almond option, as well as alternative milk drinks. The shop’s espresso and coffee were praised even by visitors who found the chai less successful.
Matcha, chai, and tea
Alongside coffee and espresso, Holy Water offers a fair selection of matcha, chai, and loose-leaf teas. These drinks provide alternatives for guests who do not want espresso or brewed coffee.
Reviews of the chai were mixed. One visitor described the chai as mediocre, while another said that the chai latte lacked the balanced blend of spices and creaminess expected from a good chai latte.
The same reviews were more positive about the rest of the menu, particularly the coffee and espresso. The overall environment was considered strong enough to make the shop worth visiting even when the chai latte did not meet expectations.
Pastries and local baked goods
Everything is done in-house at the shop’s coffee operation, while baked goods come from local favorites. Love and Light Bakery provides vegan pastries, and Lone Pine Bakery supplies croissants and other treats.
The selection includes fresh pastries, breads, and treats from local bakers delivered daily. One visitor ordered a bran muffin and described it as phenomenal, moist, and enjoyable.
Reviews also mention pastries such as olive oil peach cake. The baked goods complement the espresso menu and give customers a choice of a light breakfast, snack, or accompaniment to a drink.
Service and hospitality
Attentive hospitality is one of the shop’s most frequently mentioned strengths. One reviewer noted that although the staff takes downtime, they are ready and watching as soon as a customer walks through the door, welcoming each guest attentively.
Another visitor described the baristas as very nice, professional, and proficient. Reviews also characterize the staff as attentive, helpful, kind, and willing to help make the experience an adventure.
The shop’s community-minded approach is reflected in individual customer experiences. One guest arrived needing a cheer-up coffee but had forgotten a wallet, and the cashier offered a coffee on the house without hesitation.
For the people behind Holy Water, hospitality is connected to relationships. “In the end, however, it all comes back to connection,” Erin said. “That’s what we’re really serving here.”
A neighborhood-oriented coffee shop
Holy Water serves a broad local audience, including college students, residents of the apartment complex behind the shop, and regular neighborhood customers. The space is designed to feel welcoming without losing its polished character.
The shop’s own site lists “bike rides” as a standing feature alongside online ordering and gift cards, pointing to ties with the neighborhood’s cycling community. The team also hosts occasional pop-ups with food trucks, including a burger truck and breakfast-focused vendors.
The combination of coffee, pastries, cycling connections, and occasional food events gives Holy Water a role that extends beyond serving drinks. It functions as a meeting point for people living, studying, working, and spending time in the East Central area.
The people behind Holy Water Coffee
For Nick, coffee began as a side job and became a life. Born and raised in Draper, he was immersed in music from a young age.
At eighteen, he joined a band and began touring, eventually signing a record deal and moving to Los Angeles. “I still needed a job,” he said. “So, I walked into a coffee shop.”
That shop was Handsome Coffee Roasters, and it changed his life. The owner took a chance on him in 2011, and Nick dove headfirst into the world of specialty coffee.
He stayed on when Blue Bottle acquired the company, but the culture changed. “I had seen something cool done the right way, but it turned into something different. That was my aha moment.”
When the band fizzled out, Nick moved home and opened his first shop, Three Pines Coffee, in 2015. It was a partnership built on both capital and conviction.
“Meg, my partner in life at the time, had the money, I had the coffee knowledge. It worked,” he said. At Holy Water, Nick continues to push the boundaries of what coffee can be.
“I don’t pretend to know everything,” he said. “Coffee is ever evolving, and I’m still learning every day.”
What visitors appreciate most
- Well-balanced espresso drinks and carefully prepared coffee.
- Two distinct espresso profiles, including chocolatey and nutty as well as fruit-forward options.
- Classic drinks and rotating seasonal specialties.
- Alternative milk choices, including a house-made almond option.
- Matcha, chai, and loose-leaf teas.
- Fresh pastries, croissants, vegan treats, breads, and other baked goods from local bakeries.
- Warm, attentive, professional, and helpful baristas.
- Bright windows, plants, refined design, and a clean interior.
- Bar seating, tables, and a corner area that can accommodate larger groups.
- A neighborhood-oriented atmosphere connected to local residents, students, cyclists, and food vendors.
Points to consider before visiting
The shop’s seating is not especially extensive, and one visitor felt that it was not the ideal place to use as a virtual office for several hours. Its quiet, polished atmosphere may be better suited to shorter visits, meetings, dates, and focused conversations.
The chai latte received less favorable feedback than the coffee, espresso, pastries, and interior. Visitors specifically mentioned that the drink could improve in its spice balance and creaminess.
For coffee drinkers, however, the espresso program remains the central attraction. Reviews consistently emphasize the quality of the coffee, the careful preparation, the latte art, and the ability to adjust sweetness with options such as brown sugar.
Visitor information
Holy Water Coffee is located at 712 E 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102. The listed phone number is (385) 645-8554.
The shop is open daily, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday and from 8 AM to 3:30 PM Saturday and Sunday. It is a compact East Central coffee bar focused on specialty espresso, alternative milk drinks, matcha, chai, tea, and locally sourced baked goods.