Follow the aroma of delicious fair-trade, organic coffee, baked goods and the sound of jazz music as you enter Katharine Blunt House. Welcome to Coffee Grounds.
Coffee Grounds has become one of the most popular student spots on campus. Co-manager sophomore Eliza Bryant attests that CG has a strong “sense of community” and is “not only a business, but very much a student space.”
Bryant’s co-manager and fellow sophomore Catherine Monahon attributes CG’s popularity to the “affordable goods, especially since they’re fair trade and organic, which is very rare.”
Coffee Grounds is appealing to students and faculty alike; Monahon says that CG attracts a diverse clientele including “people doing homework, teachers who meet with students, study groups and artists who display their work.” Students like sophomore Zoe Diaz-Martin frequent Coffee Grounds for the “well-priced coffee and treats” and the “delightful ambiance.”
Recently, CG debuted a community art project that students add to every day. As of last Tuesday, about ten people had contributed. The red walls were repainted last year, and a new espresso machine gleams from behind the counter.
CG has been improving its space and event offerings since it opened several years ago, when it began as an all unpaid volunteer-staffed labor of caffeinated love. Now, three sophomores manage Coffee Grounds: Bryant, Monahon and Ileana Mar, and baristas are paid a salary, not only the tips they used to earn.
Bryant said that the coffeehouse “used to be run by the administration, but this year it has expanded its horizons and is solely a product of Catherine, Ileana, me and our staff… we have shaped the space to be what we want it to be and what our clientele want it to be.”
Barista Mollie Doherty calls CG “really one of the best atmospheres on campus.” While some miss the slightly shabbier, more chaotic and very homey Coffee Grounds of years past, others herald the changes as welcome, much-needed and fun.
The staff is very receptive to student ideas and student participation. Every Tuesday is acoustic night and every Wednesday is jazz night. These nights bring student talent into the space and add even more to the already relaxing, soothing atmosphere that is equally conducive to studying and writing papers and to hanging out and taking a java break.
Soon, there will be even more to look forward to at CG: after Thanksgiving Break, Coffee Grounds will host Holiday Week and a bevy of study-break events. There will be cookie-decorating, storytelling and a special “treat yourself” holiday visit from Ms. Sexuality Speaker and safe sex educator Megan Andelloux, who, with Feminist Majority, puts on a yearly sex toy and masturbation workshop in the coffeeshop. There will also be a Spring-fest before Floralia, a Rock-fest and many other ideas that students and the staff come up with.
Bryant summed up with something that resembles the Coffee Grounds philosophy. “While we are a business,” she said, “and we want to serve quality drinks and are dedicated to fair-trade, we also want to pay equal amount of attention to CG as a hub for campus community. We more than welcome faculty, staff and students to the space.”
Photo by Kelsey Cohen.
