Caffeine and concert connections: Bittersweet Coffee and Venue will offer local amenities and music-centered opportunities

Dec. 26, 2025

Photo by P.O.sitive Negative on Unsplash

In the new year, Colorado Springs will welcome a new community entertainment space, where daytime coffee dates turn into nights of intimate live music moments.

Bittersweet Coffee and Venue will serve as a third space and a safe, resource-packed hub designed to accommodate and support local music artists.

Zane Neale Landeck, Bittersweet’s venue manager, shared that the business will focus on making deals with artists that are tailored to their needs and backgrounds.

As a musician himself, owner Lance Dunlap’s priority for this new venture is helping artists through affordable performance opportunities and additional resources, whether they are up-and-coming or nationally touring names.

Exploring the community space’s concept

One way Bittersweet will accommodate artists is through their layout. Landeck said the business will offer touring artists a place to stay in the space.

“We'll have a super dope green room as well, where artists will be able to stay overnight, that has a full kitchen and multiple beds for touring artists coming through, which is unheard of at this size venue,” he said.

The front of the building will be the café, and for Dunlap, the equipment and team he selected will contribute substantially to the ambiance and quality of their work.

“On the front end, we’ve got the best coffee machine for making espresso. We got the best coffee machine for making drip coffee. I went out and got the best barista that I could find. [He] has the most training, and he knows his craft and inside and out,” Dunlap said.

Behind the café will be the business’s performance space, with a maximum capacity of 150 eventgoers. Dunlap said this area will mostly be used for nighttime music events.

Concerts and community contributions

When coming up with Bittersweet and finding its live music focus, Dunlap envisioned creating a more intimate venue experience, best suited for small or medium-sized bands looking to create connections.

“There is going to be that [kind of] concert where you can actually, kind of like it was back in the old days, when you can actually reach up and touch your favorite artist's hand,” Dunlap said.

Landeck has set up the venue’s sound, guaranteeing that the coffee shop will feel like a “legit concert.”

Dunlap’s planned events won’t just take place in Bittersweet’s indoor spaces. He thinks their parking lot, weather-permitting, is suitable for themed market and food truck events.

He also wants to support artists of all backgrounds and is open to hosting showcases, comedy events, poetry nights and other small budget events.

Bittersweet is located near Summa Taphouse, between downtown and Old Colorado City.

Dunlap noted that if Bittersweet gets involved in First Friday events and the Colorado Springs art scene, they could serve as a connection point between the two art-centric areas.

A storied start

Dunlap already knows the west side of the city well. He’s also the owner of Kind Find Jewelry & Piercing, which is located near the new venture.

Dunlap has experience hosting awareness concerts and other music events, one of which involved hiring Jerry Robinson, the musician who helped connect him with Landeck.

Landeck is an entrepreneur with a background in audio, and he has experience touring with artists like Jelly Roll.

He was touring with Robinson in Colorado, who had stayed in communication with Dunlap after the benefit concert, and the three convened when the tour came through Colorado Springs.

When Robinson later had an album release party at Jelly Roll’s Tennessee bar, Goodnight Nashville, Landeck and Dunlap, who were both present, reconnected and began talking about Bittersweet.

Both Landeck and Dunlap see importance in establishing a quality-focused business without shortcuts.

“If you're coming to Bittersweet, you're going to get a good event. You're going to get a good show. You're going to get treated right, you know, the staff is going to be respectful. We're going to take care of you. We're going to hook you up, you know, and make sure everyone has a good time,” Landeck said.

The pair is still actively finding new ways to create this enjoyment. Landeck posts on Threads regularly, looking for artists and creatives who want to be part of community events.

Right now, Bittersweet is only open for private parties, but those interested in getting updates as they become available can follow them on Instagram.