Conn features a number of options for caffeinated stimulants on campus to help you through your day, and long into the nights.
Presently, there are three concessions specifically geared towards percolation. Starting in South campus and working our way up North, there is the freshly opened Coffee Shop at Cummings, now the responsibility of SGA’s Academic and Social Spaces Commission. Located in the immediate entryway of Cummings, it’s has a great atmosphere with tiled glass portraits hearkening back to medieval periods, and its prime location offers great people-watching.
But as one student said while plopping himself down for a beverage with friends, “We need more couches in this joint!”
Seating is limited to three or so small wooden circular tables with art nouveau swirly backed chairs, and a leather love seat up against a wall.
So, expect a wait if you plan on settling down with your brew.
The pricing of beverages sold at Coffee Shop at Cummings is quite reasonable, with a cup of coffee priced at just $1; mochas, chais and lattés for $3; and an assortment of unique teas like Chinese Ginger Lemon, and Pomegranate Raspberry Green for just $1.25. It’s open from 10 AM – 4 PM, and then reopens for a night shift of 7 PM – 10 PM. Perfect for late night work for those living down south.
Moving north, there is the Blue Camel Café, known for great Americanos and super friendly service from leading barista Lorelei Farntz. Located in the heart of the basement of Shain Library, it’s an ideal stop pre-late night studying.
Unfortunately, it costs a bit more than any other café on campus, with an iced mocha running $4.75. But a selection of moderately priced baked goods and readily available toasters, not to mention the excellent location, seem to warrant the higher prices.
The Blue Camel Café is also on Twitter (@BlueCamelCafe) as baristas tweet the café’s daily specials, and even offer up the occasional freebies to anyone who might happen to mention their favorite thing about snow… or any other number of other secret discounts the café’s tweets request.
Its hours are Monday-Wednesday: 8:30 AM – Midnight, Thursday: 8:30 AM – 6 PM, Friday: 8:30 AM – 3 PM and Sunday from 1:00 PM – Midnight. It is closed on Saturdays.
Continuing up North is Coffee Grounds, nestled within Katharine Blunt (KB), directly to the right after entering. Renowned for hosting some great band performances and even the occasional highly popular Sex Talks, it also happens to be an excellent place to chill and work. Like Coffee Shop at Cummings, it is entirely student run and operated. The atmosphere is quite enjoyable, with numerous couches and high bar chairs around tables. Furthermore, often an iPod will be playing a playlist in the style of “New Soul” by Yael Naïm overhead.
Be sure to check out their Oregon Chai drink, available both hot and iced, which at only $2 is a delicious way to brighten up your day. The baked goods at Coffee Grounds also seem to be a particular boon to the café.
As Anne Kearney ’12 one of Coffee Grounds’s lead bakers explained the direct relationship she has found between the daily baked goods and number of frequenters to the café. “If something is good, people tell other people about it. I know that when I made some CoCoCo (chocolate-coconut-coffee) brownies, people just went mad over them and a lot were eaten; but the other day, when I made the pineapple cupcakes, very few people came to Coffee Grounds with the thought of buying a baked good.”
Coffee Grounds’ hours are Monday – Wednesday: 8:30 AM – Midnight, Thursday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 p.m., Friday: Noon – Midnight, Saturday: Noon – 6:00 PM, and Sunday: Noon – Midnight. But if even that’s not enough time and you aren’t quite finished with your work, the adjoining KB Common room bodes for an excellent extended workspace.
As for the more “standard fare” coffee, Crozier-Williams’s Oasis offers several brews, depending on the day, ranging from the “Eye Opener” blend to the “Fair Trade Central Highlands,” which seems to be a more popular blend. Tropical Coconut, Hazelnut and Chocolate blends have been offered on occasion. As the college’s “snack shop,” there are a myriad of snacks to choose from to complement your coffee.
Even Harris should not be overlooked, and perhaps should be highly recommended to any coffee drinkers “in-training,” looking to wean themselves over to coffee. Harris’s “General Foods Curtis Concept Series” Coffee Maker offers Hazelnut and French Vanilla muted flavors of coffee, as well as a hot chocolate option. Infiltrated with so much sugar and chemicals, it’s pretty difficult to call it coffee, but nonetheless – it’s tasty and can provide you with a small burst of energy to a slow afternoon. There is also a standard fare of coffee and hot water tap for tea.
There’s certainly no substitute for real sleep, but in the meantime, Conn certainly provides a few coffee shop options to tide you over.
