Bibo, a mom-n-pop owned coffee house, takes one baby step in a game dominated by coffee giant Starbucks. It plans to open a second location at 50 West Liberty in downtown Reno on April 1. Bibo has done business for three years at 680 Mount Rose Street.
"I felt there was a niche for a high-end coffee shop that got back to the roots of coffee culture," says Paul Martin, president. The difference, he says, is that Bibo provides plenty of room for seating and deliberately eschews the ubiquitous wi-fi connection to promote conversation.
"There's always lots of friends and families in here visiting," he says.
At 1,000 square feet, the downtown Bibo will be slightly cozier than the initial 1,200-square-foot location. The decor, says Martin, is urban contemporary. Staffing, to start at eight, is also a sliver shy of the 10 employed at the Mount Rose store.
Bibo gets its java from suppliers Coffee Connection in Tahoe City and Josuma in San Francisco. Bagels and pastries are also served.
And the odd name? In Latin, Bibo means "I drink."
