Alright, so you’re kind of sick of Starbucks. I don’t blame you. Shelling out almost $4 for a urine-sample-sized coffee can put a damper on your caffeine rush.
Some of you might not be big fans of the whole corporation thing either; after all there is a Starbucks on every street corner of America blasting Michael Buble to anyone within earshot.
So what are you to do when you’re dying for a delicious pick me up?
Well lucky for us, Gainesville’s got some sweet locally owned and operated coffee digs that won’t kill your budget. Plus they can give you the good feeling that comes with supporting local businesses. I went to three Wi-Fi-connected coffee havens close to campus – Maude’s, Volta and Karma Cream – to see what they’ve got to offer.
Maude’s:
Maude’s Classic Cafe, 101 SE Second Place, is ironically situated across the street from the downtown Starbucks.
It has a nice covered patio outside and a big interior.
Some desserts are available, famously the chocolate mousse cake, as well as breakfast and lunch.
As far as the coffee goes, I tried their most popular drink: the Maude’s House Iced Coffee. It was nice and light with a pleasant hint of cinnamon and even had a little savory flavor of honey.
The pleasant two-person team on shift explained that they really enjoy forming relationships with their clients.
“Isn’t that right, Frank?” calls one worker to a man sitting in the corner, who confirms with a casual thumbs-up.
Volta:
If you’re feeling a bit more exotic or taking someone on a first date, try going to Volta Coffee, Tea & Chocolate, 48 SW 2nd St.
The owner, Anthony Rue, is kind of obsessed with coffee — seriously, obsessed.
“We send our people out to seek out roasters with the best coffee from around the world,” Rue says with a huge spark of excitement. “We make sure we get the freshest beans possible, which means a lot of our coffees are seasonal due to their harvest dates.”
From Ethiopia to Peru, the menu inside is constantly updated with new brews from around the world.
And it’s not just the beans he’s consumed with. Rue sends his baristas off to national and state wide barista competitions to be judges and to show everyone that Gainesville can rep some serious coffee skills.
He insisted that I try their house cappuccino, which was served with a fantastic presentation. I’m usually not a cappuccino fan, but this cup was surprisingly smooth. Before I knew it my mug was empty and Rue was smiling from ear to ear once he saw I downed the whole thing in record time.
Karma Cream:
The last stop on my coffee crusade was Karma Cream, 1025 W University Ave., a hot spot for vegans, organic- goods lovers and fair-trade coffee fans. In fact, they only serve fair-trade coffees and espressos, which means with every beverage you get a free side order of clean conscience.
They’re open until 3 a.m., accommodating those all night study sessions very well.
And their coffee is awesome. As soon as I took my first sip of their Cubano Con Leche, I had a profound coffeegasm. The drink is sweet and extremely delicious, almost like a dessert.
Payal Patel, the barista on shift, told me what she thinks makes the store special.
“We’re a lot more than just coffee, tea and snacks,” she said with a shy smile, “We really try to make a friendly environment.”
As I visited each coffee shop, I started to see what sets them apart from their corporate counterparts: passion. The owners and employees really enjoy making coffee, getting to know you and making sure your visit is perfect. Going to these cafes is a very personal experience, and it really makes you feel like you’re worth more than the next medium-sized vanilla latte.
