Voyager Craft Coffee Guide: San Jose’s Travel-Inspired Café
Voyager Craft Coffee: Travel-Inspired Drinks in the San Jose Area
Today we’re featuring Voyager Craft Coffee, a stylish café in the San Jose area known for its travel-inspired drinks.
Whether you live nearby or you’re just visiting, a few of its locations are easy to work into a day out in Silicon Valley, so keep it on your list!
How Did This Café Get Started?
Voyager Craft Coffee was founded around 2016 by Sameer “Sam” Shah and Lauren Burns.
The two started out serving coffee from a small trailer. Sales were reportedly modest at first (just $81 on one early day), but they say they stayed optimistic about the future.
Before long, they opened their first brick-and-mortar shop on Stevens Creek Blvd in Santa Clara.
Sales were slow and times were tough at first, but their focus on genuine conversations with customers gradually won people over, and they began making a name for themselves in the local coffee scene.
Where Does the Name Come From?
As the name “Voyager” suggests, the café is built around a unique concept: coffee inspired by travel.
The founders wanted to bring the flavors and cultures they encountered on their travels into their coffee menu.
For example, a drink called the Valencia took its inspiration from Valencia, Spain, and was made with orange blossom water.
The travel theme carries through to the menu, with original drinks named after places around the world.
How the Café Has Grown
Since its founding, Voyager Craft Coffee has steadily expanded its network of shops within Santa Clara County.
Later, it opened a location in downtown San Jose.
Then, in April 2020, a third location opened on The Alameda near Santa Clara University.
It launched in the middle of the pandemic, but it has become a favorite spot for students and local residents.
Its fourth location opened in Cupertino.
What began as a single coffee trailer has grown into several cafés.
For current locations, opening hours, and any temporary closures, check Voyager’s official website before you visit.
What’s the Vibe Like Inside?
The themes shared by every Voyager Craft Coffee location are “travel” and “community.”
The interiors feature colorful, travel-inspired details.
At the Cupertino shop, for example, a deep-blue exterior leads into a playful space with pink and blue accents.
The décor varies from shop to shop, but each location carries the same travel theme.
The Alameda location near Santa Clara University is also bright, open, and comfortable.
It sits along The Alameda right by campus, with patio seating out front.
It’s a comfortable spot to linger, and you’ll often see people working on their laptops.
Signature Destination Drinks
Voyager Craft Coffee’s biggest draw is its lineup of signature “destination drinks,” each inspired by a place somewhere in the world.
The menu is full of lattes with unusual flavors, many of them made with house-made syrups.
The Tokyo latte, for example, pairs cherry blossom with house-made vanilla syrup for a subtle flavor that evokes springtime in Japan.
The Lexington is made with a house-made bourbon reduction, and past menus have also featured the Bali, a slightly spicy latte with coconut, honey, and cayenne pepper.
The idea behind Voyager’s drink menu is simple: enjoy your coffee as if you were traveling the world.
Past menus have also included the Valencia, a sweet, floral latte with coconut and orange blossom water.
There’s even an ube (purple yam) latte.
Menu items vary by location and change over time, so check the current menu before you visit.
New Arrivals
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Rainbow Latte Art
Voyager has drawn attention in the past for its colorful rainbow latte art.
If you’d like to try it, ask at the café whether it’s available when you visit.
Toasts and House-Made Pastries
Alongside the coffee, Voyager also serves toasts and house-made pastries.
The menu has included options like avocado toast and an almond butter and strawberry toast, though the lineup changes.
Voyager has its own bakery team that makes muffins, scones, and pastries for its cafés.
Coffee Sourcing and Community Initiatives
One example of Voyager’s approach is how it sources its coffee beans.
Voyager says it pays more than double the commodity price for its green coffee, with the aim of supporting growers’ livelihoods and securing high-quality beans.
Voyager has also collaborated with local schools and nonprofits.
For example, it has teamed up with Special Olympics Northern California on a collaboration coffee blend called “Brewed 2 Belong.”
During the pandemic, local media also reported that Voyager worked hard to protect its employees’ jobs, applying for a federal PPP loan and other grants and eventually receiving a DoorDash grant.
Planning a California road trip? If you’re starting in Southern California and heading up to Silicon Valley, our hybrid car rentals are a fuel-efficient way to cover the miles between stops like this one. Check pickup arrangements, mileage allowances, and other rental terms before booking.
Why It’s Worth a Stop
Creative drinks, house-made pastries, and a cozy, travel-themed space: Voyager Craft Coffee makes an easy pick for a coffee break in Silicon Valley.
Before You Go
Some details in this guide, such as past menu items, are historical, and menus, hours, and locations can change. Please check Voyager’s official website before you visit.
For more California cafés and places to visit, check out our Instagram!
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