You might be familiar with Todd Brunson from seeing him in the World Series of Poker. Or maybe you’ve heard of his father, Doyle Brunson, Poker Hall of Famer, author and two-time WSOP main event champion.
In addition to being a professional poker player and lawyer, Todd Brunson is a local business owner. In 2017, he and some business partners purchased Roma Deli on Spring Mountain Road, and a year later, he opened a second venture, Roma Coffee on Hualapai north of Charleston, for quick food and drink options with a European flair.
The coffee shop has become a hangout for both poker players and java aficionados, but like many Valley restaurants, Brunson explains, it hasn’t been pandemic-resistant.
“It’s been really rough,” he says. “First of all, everybody’s mindset is that they don’t want to go out, and they cut us down to 25 percent capacity. So on a daily basis at Roma Coffee, they come in and see they have nowhere to sit and just leave. We’ve got tables we can’t use.”
Despite the downturn in business, Roma Coffee has stayed open, and its offerings are just as delicious as when the café opened in 2018.
“We have an actual chef and multiple bakers,” Bronson says, separating his spot from a corporate chain. And at what other coffee shop can you also score scratch-made lasagna Bolognese, Italian wedding soup and tiramisu?
The croissants, Brunson says, are parbaked in France—“baked halfway and then flash-frozen.” Instead of taking 40 minutes to bake, they’re done in 14 minutes, yet they taste just like the ones you’d get in Paris.
The fresh-garlic egg salad is another must-try, served as a breakfast sandwich with fresh dill, capers and your choice of croissant or bagel. It’s even better paired with a cappuccino or latte.
“One of our specialties is a honey cinnamon latte,” Brunson says. “I put a pump of vanilla in mine. It’s the best coffee drink I’ve ever had.”
ROMA COFFEE 3700 S. Hualapai Way #109, 702-331-7071. Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
