A recent Gallup survey found that 7% of Americans own electric vehicles, up from 4% one year ago—and as the owner of a Volkswagen e-Golf I am proud (though not righteously so) to count myself among their ranks. For the longest time, however, I lacked a convenient place to charge my car. This frustration is not unique to me.
When I bought the e-Golf last January, my partner and I were renters. We lived on the top floor of a duplex, and the only outdoor socket metered to the bottom unit. I used this socket exactly once before the downstairs neighbors caught on. Until we purchased a home, I spent hours on the PlugShare app, looking for nearby chargers to give my e-Golf its biweekly meal of electricity. Where we lived, in Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood, there were hardly any.
While there are many public EV chargers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, surprisingly few of these are found outside of each city’s densest neighborhoods. The paucity of public chargers in residential areas and smaller commercial districts is a reminder that, aside from price (and politics), America’s nascent EV infrastructure is preventing widespread EV adoption. If we had as many fast-charging stations as we did gas stations, the transition away from gas-powered vehicles would likely be easier and quicker. (The world's richest man isn't exactly helping matters, despite pledges to open Tesla charging stations up to other car brands.) I am sure there are many renters—like I once was—who want to buy an EV, but have no clue where or how they would charge it.
That’s where coffee shops come in: They’re great places to read, work, socialize, or engage in quiet, contemplative thought. But you don’t need me to remind you of that—what you need to know is which good coffee shops are within walking distance of reliable public chargers. Through my months of extensive research, I found three.
Backstory Coffee North Loop
If you don’t mind (or can get over) the fact that the North Loop outpost of Backstory Coffee is an influencer’s playground, you’ll enjoy working out of this industrial-chic coffee shop. Located in the lobby of The Duffey, Backstory feels communal, with one long table in the center of the room and countless couches and chairs along the perimeter. Most importantly, the drinks are solid (they have one of the smoother lattes in town), and there are two chargers within a six-block radius.
Address: 528 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Nearby chargers: Target Field Station Ramp (four plugs available), Nordic Parking Ramp (seven plugs available)
Dogwood Coffee St. Paul
I was sad to discover that there were no public chargers remotely near my neighborhood Dogwood on East Lake Street. I was even sadder to discover that my e-Golf’s presence was not welcome at the (allegedly) public charger nearest their former St. Paul location. One day, I returned from my coffee to discover a type-written missive on my windshield informing me that the charging station was for use by employees and visitors of [name of organization redacted] only. I suspect I was ratted out by an employee of said organization, whom I would often observe in his Volkswagen ID.4, scrolling on his phone as his car charged during his lunch break. (Several days after receiving this note, I noticed an ID.4 owner comment on PlugShare that the charger in question was NOT, in fact, public.) Come on, man! We’re in this fight to save the earth together. Booting someone off a charger is pretty uncool.
Anyway. Dogwood Coffee Co.’s St. Paul location has since moved to the former Hodges Bend, right next to a public charging station. You already know Dogwood’s coffee is good (I recommend the Spumoni Latte during summer), so if you're an EV-owner living in St. Paul or Minneapolis's Prospect Park, take note.
Address: 2700 University Ave. W., Suite 100, St. Paul
Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Nearby chargers: Key Westgate (six plugs available), University Ave. SE and Bedford St. SE (two plugs available)
SK Coffee
I live closer to SK Coffee’s St. Paul location, but I find myself returning to their Whittier shop several times a week, even though I no longer rely on the public chargers nearby. For one, the vibes are good: friendly baristas, fantastic tunes, and plentiful plants make this a great place to hang out. Furthermore, the drinks are top-notch. SK specializes in single-origin coffees that are hard to find elsewhere; their pourovers are flavorful and smooth and the staff is passionate about educating customers about what makes their beans unique. For those who enjoy flavored drinks, SK delivers on this front, too. They make the only mocha I’ll drink, since it’s slightly bitter, rather than cloyingly sweet. And their Sweet Galium (galium is an herb that tastes similar to vanilla) is my regular order—iced, with oat milk, there’s no better coffee drink in town.
Address: 2401 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
Nearby chargers: Lyndale Ave. S. and W 25th St. (two plugs available), Colfax Ave S. and Hennepin Ave. (two plugs available)
There are other coffee shops near public chargers—specifically, Harmony Coffee and The Briar in Minneapolis and Caydence Records & Coffee in St. Paul—that I was unable to test for the purposes of this article. However, I can attest to the quality of drinks and atmosphere of all three places and would recommend them without reservation to EV owners who need a cup of joe while charging their car.
