Photographed by Kate Hoffman.
Having a go-to coffee shop — whether you stop by for the perfect pour-over or the cute barista — is one of those telltale signs you've finally become a grown-up. But, that doesn't mean your caffeine routine has to be, you know, routine. What if you were encouraged to shop around and try new haunts? Now, there's a loyalty card that will help you do just that: the Disloyalty Card.
Instead of rewarding a customer’s allegiance to a single coffee shop, the Disloyalty Card introduces you to six new shops around the District: Blind Dog Cafe, The Coffee Bar, Peregrine Espresso, Chinatown Coffee Co., La Mano, and Filter Coffeehouse. After you buy a coffee drink at all six locations, you can return to any one of them and receive a drink of your choice for free. (Who knew being disloyal could be a good thing?)
Similar rewards programs have cropped up around the country, but the D.C. edition was created by Dawn Shanks and Christy Pelton, two local coffee professionals. And, while it's natural to assume that shop owners wouldn't want to send customers to the competition, Shanks and Pelton discovered a lot of excitement for the idea from the barista community.
You can pick up your own card at one of the six participating shops, and get started on your caffeine-induced adventure. Grab them fast, though, because there are only 500 cards available. Who knows? You might find your next morning pit stop (or an even cuter barista).