National Coffee Day In La Mesa: Where To Get Your Joe Fix

LA MESA-MOUNT HELIX, CA — For many on the go in La Mesa and Mount Helix, drinking coffee is celebrated seven mornings a week.

But there's a specific date that is specifically set to highlight one of the world's most consumed beverages. National Coffee Day is Sept. 29 across the United States and falls on a Wednesday in 2021.

National Coffee Day gives java lovers in La Mesa and Mount Helix another reason to visit one of their local coffee shops.

In La Mesa and Mount Helix, local coffee shops include:

• Public Square Coffee House, 8278 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa
• Brew Coffee Spot, 6101 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa
• Light Bulb Coffee, 8138 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa
• Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, 4350 Palm Ave., Suite 104, La Mesa
• CAFÉ a gogo, 5120 Jackson Drive, La Mesa
• Spacebar Cafe & Wine Bistro, 7454 University Ave., Suite A, La Mesa
• Dane Coffee Roasters, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, Suite 165, La Mesa
• Starbucks, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa
• Marcella June's Coffee Lounge, 8513 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa
• Pink Rose Cafe, 8209 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa
• Starbucks, 5335 Jackson Drive, La Mesa
• Starbucks, 7966 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa

The exact origin of how Sept. 29 (or Oct. 1 in other countries) became National Coffee Day is cloudy, according to a NationalToday.com summary of the country's long connection with the drink. It points to the 1773 Boston Tea Party as a key moment in U.S. history for when the country, quite literally, dumped tea for coffee.

When the people of the 13 colonies revolted against King George III's hefty tea tax, "tea was out, and coffee was in," the summary states.

The United States' connection with coffee only became stronger in the years to follow. Brothers John and Charles Arbuckle started selling coffee to cowboys in the American West during the mid-1800s, and James Folger introduced the drink to gold miners in California before creating the J.A. Folger & Co. in 1872, according to NationalToday.com.

Other brands still around today, such as Maxwell House and Hills Brothers, eventually entered the coffee market. And Starbucks "changed everything" when it formed in Seattle in 1971, according to the summary.

The U.S. coffee shop market has now grown into a $45.4 billion industry, according to an account that cites the Allegra World Coffee Portal's 2019 Project Café USA report.

A number of chain coffee shops are expected to offer deals for National Coffee Day, TheSpruceEats.com says.

Among them, Krispy Kreme will offer a free coffee and doughnut on the day, Dunkin' Donuts a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase, and LaMar's Donuts a free small cup of coffee.

Local 7-Eleven stores have also offered National Coffee Day deals, with any size coffees going for $1 while using the store's smartphone app.

Starbucks also typically offers free samples or cups of coffee on Sept. 29, Coffeeaffection.com reported this year.

Did we miss a local coffee spot? Let us know in the comments.