Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Coffee's Local Flavor


 By Alia Gray, PR Director

 Hi. My name is Alia … and I’m addicted to coffee.

As a public relations student and an athlete, my days tend to fill up pretty quickly. So, I rely on my favorite performance enhancer: a strong French roast, with just a touch of cream.


Seriously, though – on those rare mornings that I fail to factor in enough time to grab my morning cup of joe, my eyelids droop a dangerous amount and my motor functions just aren’t there.


Coffee Craze

The mere thought of coffee actually has the power to get me out of bed in the morning.


I know that I’m far from being alone here. The love/dependence on coffee that many people share has allowed companies like Starbucks to make boatloads of money.


Local Flavor

In my own coffee ventures, I decided to start trying out some of the local shops that Chico has to offer. Empire Coffee, Naked Lounge and Augie’s Cafe are just a few locally-owned and operated coffee venues.


These places supply a unique ambiance, often exhibiting the work of local artists. As it turns out, the coffee prices generally aren’t any more than your generic Starbucks or Peet’s.


Don’t get me wrong – Starbucks and Peet’s have been very, very good to me in the past. There is definitely something to be said about a quality product with consistency.


However, I’ve decided to use my addiction to better the local economy when I can, even if it’s in small, simple ways.


When I’m choosing what cafe I want to spend my afternoon in to get some work done, I try to lean toward locally-owned operations. That way, I get my daily fix and give my local stomping ground a boost. Win-win.


At least my addiction is benefiting something, right?


Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.” – Stephanie Piro   

4 comments:

  1. I like that you try to support locally owned shops, Its important to keep them open to give those big corporations competitive. It is too bad that Augies is closed.
    I can also relate to your need for caffeine, it can provide that kick to help your day

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  2. I can relate on the addiction to coffee. It inspires me to work out, helps me focus, and seems like a relatively cheap vice. I have to make sure that i drink a lot of water though, because coffee is very dehydrating.

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  3. I know, I was bummed that Augie's closed! They were a great place to get a bite to eat as well.

    I've found that when I have the time to actually sit down and drink my coffee, I enjoy the atmosphere of the local places more. Empire even has board games to play with!

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  4. I am the queen of coffee and love that you support local business while supporting your own addiction! This is my fourth year at Chico State and just discovered Empire this past year..Boy, was I missing out!

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