Lattes lovers gathered at Sidecar coffee on Friday to witness a never-before seen event in Cedar Falls: a Latte Throwdown.

The latte throwdown was an opportunity for the public to come watch different coffee enthusiasts take part in some friendly competition to see who could decorate the best lattes. 

Latte art throwdowns happen in big cities amongst different coffee shops. 

In Iowa there has only been three this year, two in Iowa City and one right here in Cedar Falls.  

The throwdown was a way for the coffee shops to connect with one another and learn  different skills from each other.

“All the coffee people in bigger cities will get together,” said Andy Fuchtman, owner of Sidecar. “You can have shops that aren’t competing and still learn a ton from them.” 

The overall competition was a success.  People came and went as they saw a little latte magic.  

Maureen Nolan, sophomore psychology and family services double major, was in the crowd watching the art.

“It’s really impressive, the leaves look like actual leaves; it’s beautiful,” Nolan said. “What do they do when they are done with the lattes? Also, why don’t they use sprinkles?  These are the questions that haunt me.”

Beth Keesey, a Sidecar barista who competed in this throwdown, said, “I’m constantly learning; I started simple and then moved to more complex designs.”

Judges for the competition included three area coffee enthusiasts. They made the tough decision on who the final winner would be.  

The winner of the latte art throwdown was Austin Kinsey, who has been with Sidecar since it opened almost a year ago. 

“When I’m working every latte for here, I take extra time to make sure it looks good,” Kinsey said. “Half the experience is what it looks like.”