Copper Star Coffee
The Copper Star gas station building serves the same basic purpose today as it did when it was constructed nearly 80 years ago. The main difference at the high-octane refill station is the type of fuel being dispensed.
Located on 7th Avenue in the historic Melrose District, Copper Star Coffee retains the appearance of a gas station, complete with two pumps out front, but now it offers mochas, lattes, and pastries instead of leaded gasoline.
When the building first opened in 1933, it was one of the first service stations north of Indian School Road, facilitating Phoenix’s burgeoning expansion in that direction. Its 21st century incarnation also helped transform the city in a different way.
Converting the site from gas station to coffeehouse served as a catalyst for the development of Phoenix’s Adaptive Reuse Program, as city ordinances made the process of repurposing old buildings unexpectedly difficult. At the time, it took Copper Star owner Bill Sandweg over a year and a half of working with city officials before the coffee shop finally opened in the spring of 2006.
His efforts have paid off for his business and the community. Copper Star has become a favorite among locals, winning azcentral.com’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Non-Chain Coffeehouse. Meanwhile, the award-winning adaptive reuse initiative has saved business owners who want to convert existing structures thousands of dollars and months of time in preparation, processing, and renovation.
This clip from the Building Phoenix Show, featuring Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot and Copper Star owner Bill Sandweg, gives an excellent sense of the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of Copper Star, and details the difficulties Sandweg faced in converting the old gas station into a new business.
