Woodstock Wanderings Explores New Harder Day Coffee Co.

Esperanza may be gone, but hope still remains for 4229 SE Woodstock Blvd. In the space that was once Esperanza Trading Co., coffee has been resurrected at the newly opened Harder Day Coffee Co., which had its grand opening on Monday, March 18. While the logo above the door has changed from emerald Esperanza green to a dark navy, the interior retains many of the space’s familiar qualities, including the soft, dim lighting caused by the windowed garage door along with windowed seating, and many of the crawling plants, although some have some re-growing to do. 

You’ll find some friendly faces at Harder Day, and get coffee served by some of the old Esperanza crew. A bonus of this is that the music playing throughout the shop is ensured to retain the same indie grooviness as before. While the menu has definitely changed – now serving pistachio croissants instead of puerquitos, and cloud forest Ecuadorian chocolate mochas instead of con chocos – and the shop has been reworked to a more sleek, modern feel, the taste is still great, and the Woodstock community is keeping the space alive. 

While the hours have changed slightly, closing at 3:00pm instead of 4:00pm, the company is working on adding evening hours. Harder Day has also applied for a liquor license and will be serving beer and wine during those hours. 

As explained in the Esperanza closure article, disputes with ownership over the use of the storage space in the back as a community seating area have led to the backspace being curtained off as the former Esperanza space reopened to Harder Day. The old seating space to the right as you enter the building has also been closed off. However, the main side room is still open, and another table by the coffee bar allows plenty of space for students to work. The lamps that were in the back have been moved to the side room as well, and another study table has been added to the space. 

Harder Day was able to acquire the old roaster Esperanza was using, which was left over by Loma Coffee Company. While the outdoor patio put up by Esperanza had to be torn down, the Quest was able to confirm with baristas that the company potentially plans to build another outdoor space to replace it.
The owners of the Harder Day company are also behind Steeplejack Brewing, who have a brewery off of NE Broadway. The company also potentially plans to expand beyond its Woodstock space by adding a food truck, as confirmed with baristas by the Quest.