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Coffeehouses cater to locals, brew personal styles |
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Monday, 16 June 2008 |
 Senior communication major Charlotte A. Byrum relaxes in the upstairs of Beanstalk. Photo by Holt Menzies
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by JULIA HARR
Contributing Writer
There are over 15,000 Starbucks coffeehouses in the world but Boone has managed to escape them.
No big on-the-go coffee franchises exist - just several local entities serving the caffeine- craving High Country population.
Higher Grounds, Beanstalk, Conrad’s Coffee, Espresso News and Crossroads Café gladly brew their variety of the best cup of coffee around for the locals.
While each coffeehouse serves a similar purpose, they all have their own personality.
Higher Grounds
Location: New Market Center
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.- 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m.- 11 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Price of drip coffee:
Tall – $1.41
Grande - $1.64
Venti - $1.83
Coffee used: “We use all kinds of coffee from all over the world. About
half of it is organic, but our main goal is to get the best tasting
coffee for the customer,” Higher Grounds owner Matthew Scott said.
Goodies served: muffins, danishes, pies, cheesecakes, biscotti and espresso beans.
Atmosphere: “This is a sophisticated casual place. It has a real sense of community where people can hang out,” Scott said.
What makes them unique: “We have the best customer service and a nice
atmosphere. We try harder to make our drinks taste better and we like
to experiment. This is really the coffeehouse version of ‘Cheers,’”
Scott said.
Typical customer: Locals and people working in the area.
What customer has to say: “I come here about everyday. They have good
coffee even though the owner has a crappy sense of humor,” community
member Ron R. Kelley said, laughing.
Beanstalk
Location: corner of King and College streets
Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Price of drip coffee:
Tall – $1.45
Grande - $1.70
Venti - $1.90
Coffee used: Baldguy coffee – a local roaster who Beanstalk owner Wil Bryan called “economically sound.”
Goodies served: croissants, muffins, bread, scones, and cookies.
Atmosphere: “This is a relaxed, community-oriented place that’s a bit on the bohemian side,” Bryan said.
What makes them unique: “We’re not a coffee shop, we’re a coffeehouse.
We have ceramic cups and want to make people feel at home,” Bryan said.
“I’d like this to be everyone’s third place - not their home or their
job, but their other place.”
Typical customer: “We cater to everyone from kids to moms and dads, but
we mostly get Appalachian students and professors. We have a discount
for professors with office hours here,” Bryan said.
What customer has to say: “I like this coffee shop because the coffee
is good and it offers a very student friendly and inviting atmosphere,”
sophomore recreation management Katie M. Bowers said.
Conrad’s Coffee
Location: Highland’s Commons
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. , closed Sundays
Price of drip coffee:
Tall - $1.50
Grande - $1.65
Venti - $1.80
Coffee used: “We only bring in the top 1 percent of the world’s coffee
and we roast our own,” Conrad’s Coffee owner Conrad Poe said. “We have
the largest selection of organic and fair-trade coffee [in the High
Country].”
Goodies served: various breads, cookies, brownies, cheesecake bars, oat bars, biscotti, cakes, and espresso beans.
Atmosphere: “This is just a casual and relaxed area,” Conrad said.
What makes them unique: “We not only have the best coffee but the best
brewing technology; our espresso machine brews right in the cup
[instead of a separate container],” Conrad said.
Typical customer: mainly students and professors
What customer
has to say: “I like Conrad’s because they really promote the use of
fair trade and organic coffee which is good for the farmers,”
Communication Lecturer Kris Willis said.
Espresso News
Location: Howard Street
Hours of Operation: Monday -Friday 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m - 8 p.m.
Price of drip coffee:
Tall – $1.40
Grande - $1.64
Venti - $1.87
Coffee used: Organic, shade-grown and fair-trade coffee from Africa, Indonesia and South America.
Goodies served: chocolates, breads, muffins, turnovers and cheesecake.
Atmosphere: Study-friendly despite high volume of customers. There are various art and goods for sale around the shop.
What makes them unique: “We roast our own coffee and we pay special
attention to detail we are very good at espresso based beverages.”
Espresso News owner Uijin Park said.
Typical Customer: Locals, students and professors.
What customer has to say: “I come in there two to three times a week.
I like the coffee and it has a good atmosphere,” community member Steve
S. Hamilton said.
Crossroads Café
Location: Plemmons Student Union
Hours of Operation: Monday – Thursday 7:30 a.m.– 10:30 p.m., Friday
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m. -10:30
p.m.
Price of drip coffee:
Tall - $1.35
Grande - $1.60
Venti - $1.85
Coffee used: Counter culture – organic, shade-grown and fair-trade.
Goodies served: chocolate croissants, scones, muffins, cookies, pound cake and cheesecake.
Atmosphere: “This is a cool place to hang out and study; it’s very
social,” said barista Ariel S. Lipscomb, a junior communication
disorders major.
What makes them unique: “It has that convenience factor and all of your
friends are here with smiles and $10 bills,” Lipscomb said.
What customer has to say: “This is a really nice place to come between
classes. It makes for a nice break and it’s in the middle of campus,”
senior accounting major Ryan W. Ganfield said.
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