There are some things in life that I strongly feel I will never grow tired of. Today one of those things is, coffee shops. Of course, not the kind of coffee shops that you walk into, get a cup of coffee and then walk out, or the kind that you sit at and read for a little while. I am talking about the true coffee shops, the ones that warm my soul down to the very core. I am talking about the kinds of coffee shops that as soon as you walk into the door you know that you will be there for multiple hours and you will feel more at home then you have in a very long time. At this point in my life I tend to be on a coffee shop ‘hunt.’ You could say that I have become quite the critic of coffee shops. This is because I have been to the best coffee shop (Bongo Billy’s Café-Buena Vista, Colorado) and when you have had the best it immediately makes you into a snob. Therefore, I have a few things that a coffee shop must attain in order to truly be a “good” coffee shop:
1) Good coffee- no duh! But not just good coffee but coffee that tastes not too fancy, coffee that is fresh and pure. No fake snooty coffee please.
2) Good space- a coffee shop cannot be too big, nor can it be small. You must be able to feel that while you are in a coffee shop with lots of other people you are still isolated all at the same time but still not too isolated.
3) Good color selection for the paint on the wall- this may seem silly but the color of the room truly affects your mood when in a coffee shop. Normally light browns and deep reds or oranges are good. You must think fall.
4) Good seating options- it is great if there is an outside area so that you always have that option, a variety of sizes of tables that can be used for a variety of reasons, and a lounge area and/or booths are always a good addition.
5) Good music- this is very important! If I feel that I need my i-pod in at a coffee shop it is either because the music is terrible or I don’t want to talk to people. But if a coffee shop has a good mellow selection of music that is perfect for the background of my mind I will be far more productive at whatever I wish to achieve.
6) Friendly workers- You know that it is a good place when the workers aren’t wearing corporate uniforms but are able to choose what they wear and, when you feel comfortable enough to ask what they recommend for you to order and it becomes a nice conversation.
7) Vintage-like signs/decorations- this is pretty self-explanatory no froo froo flowers or lame posters hanging on the walls please.
8) BONUS: ‘to go’ cups vs. ‘for here’ cups- It is always a special place when they have the option of a real mug to drink out of when you choose to stay a while. Makes it more like home.
Coffee shops are magical places. Great things happen there. I get studying done, I get solid reading time, I can blog, I can write whatever I want, I can think, and I can have some nice alone time. All wonderful things that need to happen in order for the world to remain the beautiful place that I often forget that it is.
I agree 100%. you are a major critic, but the world needs those people.
ReplyDeletep.s. Is Bongo's still the best? In my book it always will be!