Equator (CLOSED)

Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell started roasting beans out of a Marin County garage in 1995; today their business has grown to over 500 accounts and seven cafes. Equator sources organic, fair trade, and single-origin coffee from Colombia, Sumatra, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Rwanda, Malawi, and Costa Rica; the company also creates blends for a wide variety of Bay Area restaurants, including Per Se, French Laundry, and Jardiniere. The most impressive of the cafes is located the historic Warfield Building, where a lush mural by Mona Caron blooms across the concrete walls and there’s the patio is bordered by flower-boxes. Nearby, you’ll find an 8,700-square-foot, wood-paneled cafe in the belly of the LinkedIn building, where bleacher seating replaces the typical tables and chairs. The menu offers toasts, salads, and pastries.