Owners and Houston natives Joshua Bosarge and Stephen Ashley met during high school and have been platonic best friends since then. The duo, who moved to Denver together in 2020, jokingly (and lovingly) refer to each other as one another's life partner because they've been together ever since — mostly in bands, but also slinging coffee.
Now, Procession is getting its own designated space in the front of Zeppelin Station. "We get to set the tone for the building when you walk in, with more face time with customers," says Bosarge. Instead of customers having to walk to the back of the food hall in the morning — when the majority of the other stalls are closed — customers will be greeted by Procession.
"Right next to where the new shop is, there will be more seating, our own little area that will feel more like us and our vibe and our aesthetic," says Ashley.
Procession's new nineteen-foot-long coffee bar is decked out in sleek black subway tiles.
Procession Coffee Instagram
"This is the first one that we’ve ever hosted," says Bosarge. "We kind of pride ourselves on being all about the industry. We are such a small outfit, but we like to think of ourselves as the coffee shop the baristas go to when they’re not at their own shops."
Thirty-two of those baristas, including Ashley, will be going head to head in a single-elimination tournament-style competition. According to Bosarge, "Some of the rounds will be pretty chill, some will be more challenging. Some are what’s called a free pour, but we’re tossing in some extra curveballs — like one will be an oat milk round, which is harder to pour than regular milk."
In the spirit of fair competition, Bosarge won't be judging, but he will be emceeing and playing plenty of music from DJ Screw and others from the Houston rap scene. Everything will be livestreamed, so you don't have to be up close to see the latte art competitors come up with.
"The best thing about a throwdown is that these baristas are all coming from different shops. They may not interact with each other outside of an event like this, so it's an opportunity for them to network and get to know people in their craft," says Bosarge.
But you don't have to be in the industry to join in the fun. Zeppelin Station food vendors will be open for business, as will the bar, which will be serving cocktails created specially for the event with sponsor Rishi Tea. There will also be raffles for prizes such as a two-night stay at Winter Park's A-frame cabins and an electric kettle.
The event, which is sponsored by Supergood, Acme Cup, Minor Figures, La Marzocco and others, is free for attendees, with an entry fee of $25 for those hoping to take away the chiseled, golden strongman trophy. The winner will also receive a $500 cash prize, but no one will go home empty-handed.
And of course, in true punk style, there will be two tattoo artists on site inking throwdown attendees with $100 flash tattoos, including the Procession logo. (Anyone who gets the logo tattooed will receive free drip coffee for the duration of their — or Procession’s — life, whichever comes first, with a few rules: The tattoo must be visible and entitles the tattooee to one twelve-ounce coffee per day, but recipients must tip their barista a minimum of one dollar.)
Procession Coffee is located inside Zeppelin Station, 3501 Wazee Street, and is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m daily. The throwdown begins at 5:30 p.m. on June 27. For more information about Procession and the event, follow @processioncoffee on Instagram.
