Ann Arbor coffee lovers have a new spot to explore between Packard and Hill streets since Spores Cafe opened in mid-July, offering a menu full of mushroom-infused beverages and products.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, co-founder Joe Boumaroun said he was inspired to open the cafe with his lifelong friends because he wants to change some of the connotations around functional mushrooms, which have been used in traditional medicine for potential health benefits such as enhanced focus and memory.
“I guess what inspired us to create Spores Cafe is to bring a sort of wellness and awareness of the use of functional mushrooms,” Boumaroun said. “And we thought a great way to do it would be through coffee.”
Customers can grab a coffee, refresher or latte and “supercharge” it with mushroom extracts including Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps and Reishi, which are intended for focus, energy and relaxation, according to the cafe’s website.
Spores serves a variety of beverages with or without functional mushrooms, including coffee staples like espresso and lattes, matcha and their signature Tom Brady, a lemonade-iced tea blend.
The space is intended to be grab-and-go, with no seating inside. Aside from drinks, customers can also buy “magic mushroom”-infused products including chocolate bars, gummies, drink mixes and capsules.
As opposed to functional mushrooms, “magic mushrooms” contain hallucinogenic drugs called psilocin and psilocybin, which can produce feelings of euphoria and sensory distortion. These compounds are not legal in the state of Michigan, but were decriminalized in Ann Arbor in 2024.
Boumaroun reflected on his own experience with functional mushrooms — using Lion’s Mane — which he said can boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and fight dementia.
“I started taking Lion’s Mane a while ago,” Boumaroun said. “And I did notice a difference in my sharpness, my memory, my focus, and I’ve been taking it ever since.”
LSA sophomore Luca DeSanto spoke about the cafe’s appeal to students becoming more health-conscious in an interview with The Daily, after purchasing a drink.
“I think students today are really focused on health stuff, and being more intelligent with that,” DeSanto said. “So I think this alternative path is going to be pretty attractive.”
Jesse Luckett, a barista at Spores, told The Daily he tries to help customers understand the benefits of different mushrooms without overwhelming them. He said people often question what each mushroom is supposed to do.
“I usually start with asking them what type of effects they’re looking for,” Luckett said. “That way, I’m not overwhelming them with information, just because otherwise I’d be teaching a class on each of the mushrooms and I don’t really need to do that.”
DeSanto, who lives just minutes from the cafe, sees Spores as a unique addition to the area.
“I live right down a couple minutes from here,” DeSanto said. “I didn’t know it existed before this. So, I think it’s really unique, and I would definitely be frequenting here a lot.”
Boumaroun said he has been pleased with how students and locals have embraced the cafe.
“I see it fitting in pretty well,” Boumaroun said. “I feel like a lot of the students in the area have been coming in for coffees and have been adding the functional mushrooms to it, whether it’s for studying, whether it’s for working out, whatever it may be. So I think we’ve been fitting in pretty well with the local community.”
Daily Staff Reporter Kayla Lugo can be reached at klugo@umich.edu.
The post Spores Cafe brings functional mushrooms to Ann Arbor appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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