“It has been three years since Subculture Coffee Roasters formalized its role as an energetic hub of humanity on West Palm Beach’s Clematis Street, not with the conventional stimulant, caffeine, but tacos and hip-hop. Maybe a little sangria.
At the time, its organizers, Subculture co-owner Sean Scott and DJ Steve Pershad, better known as Selecta Steve, expected to throw a few monthly Tacos & Hip-Hop parties for a couple hundred people in the alley next to the coffee shop. It was a humble idea destined to quickly run its course. Tacos and hip-hop.
But people loved the intimate space, which encouraged elbow-rubbing community. They loved the vibe, diverse and lively and respectful. They loved Zipitio’s tacos (from a pop-up that now has a brick-and-mortar location at Grandview Public Market).
“It’s been an unexpected surprise,” Scott says, estimating the last few events each have attracted more than 1,000 people to the alley. “People seem to like it. It’s an alternative to a club, but it’s not another club. The biggest compliment is when someone says, ‘Yeah, I don’t go to clubs, but I come here.’”