Coffee City

Melissa Allison follows the world's biggest coffee-shop chain and other Seattle caffeine purveyors.

June 15, 2010 12:12 PM

Taiwanese coffee chain brings sea salt lattes to U.S.

More big names in Seattle coffee have shops in Asia than in New York City. Starbucks, Tully's and Zoka all do business there and say it's a major growth market.

Now one Asian chain is bringing a cafe concept our way.

Called 85C, the Taiwan-based chain recently opened a flagship U.S. store in Irvine, Calif., where it serves squid-ink buns and iced sea salt lattes, NPR reports.

With more than 300 stores in Taiwan, it plans to expand in the U.S., Australia and China.

The chain's name comes from the centigrade temperature at which it brews coffee, NPR reported. That's 185 degrees Fahrenheit, below the ideal temperature for espresso, according to Vivace owner and coffee precision expert David Schomer.

Digg | Newsvine