For a college town like Chico, good coffee shops are essential for study spots, meeting up with new friends or having quality alone time. Tin Roof Bakery and Cafe at West 7th and Broadway Streets satisfy all these needs with its food, coffee, great service and a comfortable environment.

The cafe instantly welcomes customers with its unique design and outdoor seating. The black building is painted with red leaf-like designs and “Tin Roof Bakery & Cafe” is written in white and green.

Upon entering the cafe, customers are met with natural lighting, small posters and colorful signs advertising seasonal drinks and other menu items. Three display cases are filled with donuts, scones, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, cheesecake, sandwiches and more bakery items. A large glass door behind the counter leads to the back of the building where all food items are made.

The sitting area is filled with wooden tables and a central island with a water fountain, silverware, napkins and straws. One of my

favorite parts of the room is a small leather couch and a wooden coffee table.

Dominic Samuel is the owner of the cafe, along with his lifelong friends and business partners Davinder and Gurbinder Singh. They have worked in the food industry for over 25 years and own several other businesses in California. After Tin Roof closed in October 2022, the three started leasing the company’s property last November.

In the months following, Samuel said they renovated and cleaned the space, and then rehired the original staff. Most pastry chefs and staff members are the same before Tin Roof closed, with most of the original recipes for their food. 

“Everything is made on-site from scratch, no artificial preservatives,” Samuel said. “Our pastry chef comes in at 3 a.m. every morning and starts making pastries for the town.”

Tin Roof also provides bread products for many of Chico’s local restaurants and stores. Samuel said the wholesale process was new to him and the Singhs, as Tin Roof is the first bakery they have owned. The owners are working to reacquire accounts that were lost when the bakery first closed so that they can continue to provide bread for more local businesses.

Each month, Tin Roof also showcases artwork from local artists in the shop and offers a 10% discount for Chico State students. Samuel said that Tin Roof enjoys serving a diverse clientele of students, locals and visitors.

“We want to thank the community for the support. We’re trying to bring more quality products and better service every day,” Samuel said.

Aside from friendly employees, the space behind the counter is decorated with menus, plants and colorful signs. The menus are written in chalk and decorated with drawings of plants, coffee cups and flowers. Signs reading “coffee bar” and “iced coffee” appear vintage, giving the cafe a warm, friendly feel.

Tin Roof Cafe serves Daycamp Coffee and Chico Chai, as well as other drinks like kombucha, smoothies and blended drinks. All food is made on-site the day it is sold.

When ordering food I was excited to have so many options. I was immediately influenced by a sign outside of the entrance advertising their seasonal pumpkin drinks and ordered an iced pumpkin spice latte. The baristas were quick to accommodate me with oat milk and half-decaf espresso upon my request.

I also ordered their vegetable chili, a vegan option perfect for anyone who enjoys a warm bowl of soup. For just $5.25, I received a large cup of chili with two slices of sourdough bread. The portion was plenty for one person and the bread was soft and fresh.

My intention was to complete homework and study for midterms, and Tin Roof was the ideal place to do so. Quiet chatter filled the room, and other college students sat at tables completing their work.

Throughout the duration of my visit, there were many customers who came in pairs to grab coffee and have conversations. Most of the tables only have two seats, which provides an intimate environment where one could catch up with an old friend for hours.

Tin Roof is everything a coffee lover, family, student or any hungry customer needs. Now that the cafe has returned to Chico’s list of charming coffee shops, customers will enjoy everything Tin Roof has to offer.

Grace Stark can be reached at [email protected]