Hornets at the Hanging Tree

By: Amairani Chacon
 
            Sometimes you just need some caffeine, pastries, and a little bit of music to escape reality. The Hanging Tree Café in Downtown Pueblo is a popular site to grab a drink. It is a very well-known café that many students have been to or have heard of. It is also a place where one may go with friends to get some Instagram worthy photos. 
            The Hanging Tree Café was originally known as the “The Daily Grind Café” when they first opened in 2002. The name changed to The Hanging Tree in 2016. It was changed because “a lot of other, bigger businesses were naming their coffee shops ‘The Daily Grind’ and they wanted to stand out more.” The café is located in Downtown Pueblo near the Riverwalk. There they offer drinks, meals, snacks, art, games, and often they have live performances by in-town music groups.
            Sophomore, Alexandra Bickford, had this to say about the café, "Well I think the café is a cool idea as a whole. The history behind the café gives Pueblo locals and tourists an inside look at some of the fascinating history Pueblo has. As far as the vibe of the café, I think it is a good hang out spot for teens and young adults, and I love the dark theme of the whole place. My favorite part has to be that anyone can sell their artwork which can be displayed all around the café hanging on the walls. I think that overall, it's a very trendy and just laid-back space for coffee and boba lovers alike.”
            Employee, Aschera Prosser, from The Hanging Tree Café was more than willing to answer a few questions about the café itself. Prosser expressed that she has been an employee for a total of four months. “I really enjoy it, it’s really fun and I like the energy in here. I’ve lived here since I was really young.” Prosser also added, “I always came in here and I was just like ‘You know when I get older, I’m going to work here, so now here I am.” When asked about the significance of the café, Prosser replied with, “I think the fact that they put up artwork, not a lot of cafes do that, and anybody could come in and say, ‘Can I put up artwork?’ They promote a lot of other local businesses and we get our Pueblo Green Chile as well.” When Prosser was asked about her overall opinion on the café, she replied with, “I think it’s wonderful, I think it’s awesome. I like the hippie vibes, the energy is really good, I love it.” The last question was about the significance of the name of the café. To which Prosser replied with, “I think it’s cool because the Hanging Tree was once right out there in front.”
            The Hanging Tree offers a place to relax and enjoy the whole vibe of the café as well as the historic visual of Downtown Pueblo.