Something pretty cool is happening—has *been* happening—in the city of Boise, Idaho. A cultural capital of the Intermountain West, Boise’s historic downtown core and early 20th century residential neighborhoods have been home to an influx of creativity, arts, and culture over the last decade or so. It’s one of the fastest growing home sales markets in the United States, and home to one of the great annual music festivals (Treefort) in the country today. Around this, fueling this, swirling amidst it all is, of course, delicious specialty coffee, that canary in the urban cool coal mine, and we’ve featured Boise’s coffee scene many times on Sprudge, including in a recent big-swing guide from 2025.
Today we’re checking back in on Boise, and the brand new remodel at Slow by Slow, one of the city’s premier coffee bars. This redesign fuses old and new, and includes a quick-serve counterpart to the cafe’s offering. Let’s take a closer look.
The 2026 Build-outs of Coffee is presented by DONA, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.
As told to Sprudge by Gabe Watkins.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Slow by Slow is a specialty coffee shop and multi-roaster in Boise, Idaho. It was founded on the premise that coffee should be offered the time and consideration it deserves.
This year, we turned 10 years old, and we marked it by gutting the original space and rebuilding it from the shell out. The whole shop runs on one belief: curiosity should be rewarded. Every spot in the space gives you just enough of a hint of what’s next to pull you toward it.
We observed over the last 10 years however, that we don’t just have one audience. Some of our guests want to take their time and settle in and focus on the coffee, and others want the same great coffee, fast. Holding our high standards and serving both audiences was a beautiful challenge to solve. In July, connected to Slow by Slow next door, we opened a new concept: Fast by Slow, the quick-serve counterpart to the slow ritual. Same coffee, same standards, built for the days you need it to go.
Earlier this year, we were awarded winner of the SCA Design Awards’ “Spaces” category! This was even before the space remodel was fully complete, which wrapped in June of 2026.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
We left the historic brick shell exposed and added things that get better as they age: a walnut burl brew bar, a thin raw steel staircase with roods that stretch to the ceiling, hand-poured concrete tiles, brass, and locally made ceramics. Nearly every major piece was built here in town.
The brew bar sits at the back center of the room, shaped like our logo mark, an elongated “O” stretched to stand for patience and time. It sits in the middle of the room like an altar. Behind it, a lit “U”, half of that same stretched O, anchors the wall, and a ceiling mirror carries the shape up past where the ceiling ends. It’s confusing in the best way. Because the bar is at the back, the line winds through the whole downstairs, past guests seated on a bench facing the queue, so the room stays social. A piano-shaped stair tower wrapped in vertical rods leads up to a quieter second level where you can settle in and watch the floor below. The experience is something like walking through an adult treehouse. You’re not sure what’s around the corner.
There is something to discover everywhere. Hand-wrapped fabric wall tiles. Painted vintage machines. Amber glass coffee tables and oversized ultra-cozy lounge chairs. Hand-carved walnut and brass brew plates have NFC chips you can tap for info on your coffee, giveaways, or WiFi. Art hangs in floating frames on magnetic dowels, so the room can change without a renovation. Moody designer lighting and dim areas upstairs offer an antithesis to the bright natural light norms that shops offer today, for a plot twist in co-working and cozying up.
What’s your approach to coffee?
We’re a multi-roaster, and one of our core missions is to showcase the world’s best coffee locally. We approach it with an open mind and deep regard for what each coffee is and where it came from, treating every one we receive thoughtfully and in context. No two coffees are alike, and at Slow by Slow, that means giving each the time, respect, and full consideration it deserves. It’s where our name comes from. In practice, we adjust our brewing for every roast and serve our guests enough variety to surprise them, or to land on something that clicks, no matter your level of familiarity or expertise.
We hold ourselves to the same standard with specialty drinks. We treat the flavor components in our seasonal specials with real care, and we think a lot about the relationships between people, ingredients, space, and nostalgia. The goal is a drink that takes you somewhere, something that surprises you and sticks as a new core memory.
We also pursue coffee with a scientific lens. We test, iterate, and improve, pulling as much value as we can out of each coffee through repetition and a thorough understanding of it.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
Our espresso machines and water tap on the Slow by Slow side are all Modbar, and that’s the heart of why the bar reads so clean. Putting the modules under the counter is what lets us hide the equipment and keep the taps and the workspace uncluttered up top. What you see is the person and the process, not a wall of hardware. That was the whole point of the build.
One of our favorite features was an idea we had early in the planning process: hide the grinder beneath the counter, and hand carve a vortex that we could weigh and drop the beans into. They get consumed by a Weber Workshops EG-1 under there, and it’s a bit of a shame to hide such a beautiful machine! But the effect on guests is more important—its confounding and a highly memorable experience, watching the beans disappear into a mysterious hold in the bar top.
How is your project considering sustainability?
Our approach comes down to longevity, adaptability, and local craft. We kept the historic brick structure instead of tearing it out. The main materials, walnut, steel, brass, masonry, and concrete, were picked for how well they last and how well they age. Tabletops use a recycled paper and bamboo composite, and the ceramic mugs were custom designed and made locally. We added outdoor benches with tabletops that were custom made and plastered to endure for decades, there to serve the downtown community passers-by.
The spaces are also built to change without a remodel. The magnetic art frames let us swap the aesthetic easily, and the NFC brew plates deliver information digitally, so we can update it without reprinting or replacing anything physical. Nearly everything was fabricated locally, which supports makers here and cuts down on shipping. We wanted a place that grows with the community instead of getting redesigned every few years.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
The full Slow by Slow space remodel was completed in June of 2026. Fast by Slow opened next door on July 17, 2026!
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
The owner is Ian Fadness, who provided deeply connected input on purpose and guidance for the project. Eric Corbett and Gabe Watkins designed the architecture, brand, and interior design. All of plates and artwork in the space were created by Gabe Watkins. Mahlory Reisch of Klei Ceramics in Boise hand made all of the custom mugs, cups, and plates. Woodworking by Elijah Boysen of E.B. Woodworks in Boise.
Thank you!
The 2026 Build-outs of Coffee is presented by DONA, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.
