Populace Coffee

Such a gem. The light and airy space is complemented perfectly by the inventive and interesting coffee selections. The modern-antique blend is fun and welcoming in a way that you discover new parts of the shop as you move through it. This shop would be a gem in any city in America—Bay City is super lucky!

Great classic coffee shop! Modern feel with vintage touches engulfs you with warmth of coffee and friends. Friendly barista with great technique! Very big room almost Intimidating, but sit, relax, and be pulled in with good sounds, interesting people... And Great Coffee!! Had a great chocolate chip cookie, too! Oh yeah, good stuff!

Best coffee in Bay City hands down!! You can taste the quality of their craft in their gluten-free and vegan baked goods too. They are a vital part of downtown, and do so much to bring people together. I can’t think of anywhere else to hangout and get some work done.

Barista was super nice and helpful and recommended a maple cold brew they make in house ( I think). Was weary because cold brews are usually too dark or not super flavorful, this was surprisingly good and had a nice bright taste. Oh and the city seems to have closed off the road so there’s super nice sitting areas in the street now.

Wide, open, stylish space with high ceilings and well tended plants. Menu is restricted to bagels and pastries, but what they have is good and fresh. I was pleased to see a vegan (plant-based) option for cream cheese on the menu.

Wanting to try one of many Bay City coffee shops, we settled on this one. The inside was not expected: very open and minimalistic. Not liking cramped spaces, this didn't bother me one bit. The menu on the wall was also pretty sparse; however, the friendly barista whipped up a Caramel Latte in no time. My black coffee was strong and acceptable (there was a small hole on the side of my 'biodegradable' cup!). The bakery items were all fresh baked in the morning and the Peanut Butter cookie was very good. A bit pricey but little to complain about.

Great coffee, very flavorful and well made. I also tried one of the Cosmic Brownies and those were so delicious - very rich!

Having had the opportunity to do a bit of traveling i have to say that Populace would be in my top 10 cafes to visit. Populace sources and roasts their own coffee which it also sales by the bag. The coffee varietals change with the season so don't expect to see the same selections day in and day out. Don't expect to see any gimmicky drinks here Populace is tailored for those who seek a direct relation between farm, roasting facility, and the talented Baristas. The atmosphere of populace is very welcoming modern and open. The location offers enough seating for those looking to have some quiet time, along with a very nice long table up front that serves as a communal area. Populace is definitely a go to destination I highly recommend starting a conversation with a barista whom would be more than happy to walk you through the varietal coffee at hand along with any upcoming sipping/pouring classes.

Clean and pleasant with good coffee and nice staff. I ordered a drink that wasn't even on the menu and they made it for me cheerfully!

Best coffee in Bay City. Delicious selection of baked goods and bagels made on site. Charming atmosphere with friendly, knowledgeable and skilled baristas. My favorite spot in town!

Absolutely love this coffee shop. It's spacious and modern. They are always really nice and their lattes are really great! They have adorable merch and there is free street parking! This is one of my faves in Bay City!

Excellent Latte for me and Coffee for my Husband. I was hoping for gf donuts but settled for delicious Raspberry cookie for breakfast lol. Really cute place! Staying overnight at Tanner Building so quick stroll over at opening this morning.

populace is such a cute coffee shop that has lots of light and is the perfect place to spend your day studying or on a coffee date. the rosemary and sea salt bagel with the garlic herb cream cheese was sooo tasty and the other bagel options sounded delicious as well. there is street parking in front of the shop. i enjoyed my seasonal pumpkin iced coffee and the vanilla latte was tasty as well!

Pretty pricey. $13 for two small drinks. Chai latte needs some work, flavor was quite light. Not quite the LA Croix of chai but certainly on its way. Ordered it dirty but does not taste like there was even a single shot added. Mocha did not taste at all of any chocolate at all. It tasted like a almond milk cold brew, and that is it. The space is kinda nice, very echoy with the tin ceiling, plaster walls, and hardwood floors. I would suggest more rugs and a few pieces fabric wall art throughout the space to prevent the audio level from getting out of control when there is more than two customers. The three menus was a but confusing when we walked in. The wall blocks are fun, but the yellow letter board stopped us from looking elsewhere and is hard to read with the white letters on a yellow background. We accepted that those were everything and did not know there was more until the barista pointed to the one at the register. My fervent enjoyment of small local coffee houses has me despising the two stars at the top, but then I sip my dirty chai and realized that if this was not a small business and was rather a Starbucks or Biggby, they would be getting the drinks back. It seems that there is a lot of effort being applied here, don't stop trying. I could not see the barista working, but if I could convey one suggestion more important than managing the noise level, it would be to document the process of making every drink and ensuring that the instructions are conveniently posted for every drink prep to establish a consistent product so everyone enjoys the drinks as the others have that left five stars.

Nice quiet space for getting work done. The bagels are the best I have ever had, from anywhere. You can tell they are made fresh and the quality is worth the trip alone. My favorite is either everything or rosemary sea salt. They have vegan cream cheese options, as well. I have only ever ordered drip coffee and it was pretty good. A little bitter, but nothing awful. The bagels are the main event! They offer bags of coffee and some cute merch for sale too.

Populace is a cute little coffee shop in downtown Bay City. Their coffee is very good, these people know how to brew a good cup of espresso! It definitely has a hipster vibe inside, they did a wonderful job restoring the old space. Give them a like on Facebook, they regularly have customer appreciation day which means one free cup per person! That's how I found this place, I was visiting my in-laws and stopped in with my mother-in-law after a workout at the Y. She liked her peppermint mocha... She doesn't even drink coffee! They also had DJs spinning Christmas tunes at this particular event. If you're in need of coffee and don't want to drive up to Starbucks do not hesitate to try this place. The prices are awesome too!

Solid spot. I like the open floor plan style and the coffee, tea, and bagels are quite tasty. I haven't tried any pastries yet, but they look divine. Service is kind, though some individuals are better than others. I overheard one barista telling a customer about specials that day, whereas the barista that helped me never clued me in, which was a bummer. For getting work done, the tables at the back are perfect as there are plenty of outlets by your feet and I've had no wifi issues. There isn't a ton of seating available, but I've never had a problem procuring a seat. All-in-all, worth checking out!

Definitely not there so please if you're looking for a quick bite to eat or some coffee. Personally I've never been a coffee drinker and never really have been and probably never will be but I do like the concept of coffee shops. It was the only place I saw open early and after two hours of driving from Traverse City back home I decided to stop here to take some photos of the city and a bite to eat which I was happy this place was open. The person behind the counter was very friendly she was very helpful on helping me make a decision on what to get and told me about their products which I do like that everything is made in house. I'm always a huge beagle fan especially freshly made bagels and I was happy that they had really good cream cheese to go along with it and amazing banana nut bread. For me the only downside was I wish they had a little bit bigger of a cooler to have sodas and maybe even more local Sotos seeing I am not a coffee drinker her but again I did go to a coffee shop. But overall I really did enjoy this place and enjoy my meal sitting outside enjoying peace and quiet since it wasn't that busy that morning. I definitely want to come back here when I hit a Bay City again and grab a different item to try because they were definitely worth the travel for me.

Yummy coffee and looks like a great space to meet friends. I simply had the holiday drip coffee, which they roast themselves. Hoping to get back here because it really is yummy!

Populace Coffee is a great coffee shop that also happens to have delicious baked goods! The space is huge with indoor and outdoor seating. A sign of a good coffee shop is if I would go back for a simple black coffee. I went back three days in a row. So def recommend this place for the caffeine. I also had a cinnamon roll one day and enjoyed that as well. Wish I had more time to try more of their baked goods! Stop by this shop and support local coffee.

Lovely little local coffee shop with delicious breakfast goods. Get the bagel & cream cheese AND the pastry you're eyeing - you won't regret the calories. Of our group, the Parmesan bagel & the Fall latte got the highest reviews but no one was disappointed with their choices :)

Bright open concept coffee house. The barista was so nice and when the owner heard me say it was my first time in he came over to say hello. They make all of their syrups in house with fun flavors like brown sugar cinnamon. This will be a spot I stop at whenever I'm in town.

The pumpkin chai was delicious! Will definitely be going again. The staff was very kind as well!

The BEST lemon blueberry scone I have ever had! Iced coffee was great too, and new outdoor seating provided a wonderful place to stop and enjoy the morning :)

Such nice staff and wonderful seating. Cold brew was very good, my friend got tea and they have a huge selection!

The vibe was really nice here and the menu/selection was clear and really well done. I asked for my chai unsweetened and, sadly, it was sweetened, but the everything bagel was fantastic. Baristas were openly having a conversation with each other about how little they knew about coffee. Just a little awkward.

Loved the vibe here! Girls at the counter were so sweet! I got a latte and it was delicious. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the doughnut, if you aren't used to gluten free textures I don't recommend getting that. Would definitely go back if I came to town again.

Awesome place! We loved the atmosphere, the decor is very chic and clean. The bagels are awesome! I tried the rosemary with sea salt, OMG, the best bagel I've had! They also make their own herb and garlic cream cheese, also vet yummy. Staff is friendly. Overall, great experience to hang out

Extremely nice. Very friendly when you walk in. Nice clean look about the place. My daughter got a steamer and it had no flavor. Added some more caramel and was much better. Glad it was not to hot. Perfect temp. Mine she messed up but is remaking it. She accidentally used almond milk which I only wanted for my daughter. Taste is pretty smooth. But I like mine very hot. And it's just warm. All I all I'd come back. Not bad. But the one down the road is amazing.

Awesome coffee spot in the area. Plenty of space to hang out. Hands down, the best caramel latte I have ever had! So good.

They have a great coffee selection and can brew it using the Chemex which is my favorite way to brew coffee. It looked like they had some great pastries and bagels but I did not try those.

Great space! Cool design and prints in the back. The selection of teas are awesome! (Non coffee drinker) really enjoyed the bagels and cream cheeses. I would definitely recommend this place to Friends, family, and out of towners.

My Saginaw-based friend Deb who shares my love of coffee shops brought me to Populace while I was visiting last week. What a beautiful, bright room! What delicious coffees! Our barrista gave us a warm welcome. I managed to visit twice during my short time in MI. See you next February, I hope!

Rude customer service and made me feel unwelcomed. Will never go back again. Coffee is good, but customer service is always the most important aspect of any business. Andrew the owner has a great product and concept, but has some work to do on hiring mature staff that care about how customers are treated.

Best place in Bay City to get some energy for the day. Delicious coffee and baked goods.

Great coffee. I've had a few different styles and they've all been very good. I really enjoyed the brown sugar latte I tried today at their free coffee event/bagel release. The bagels are awesome. I tried the Rosemary, Jalepeno, and the Cinnamon and Golden Raisin (I shared, no judging! ) The bagels were chewy and had a nice crust at the same time. Yum!