The closet coffee connoisseurs who have until recently been forced to drink instant coffee and Cali lattes or trek downtown to Pour Jons or Café on Broadway may rejoice: there’s a new coffee shop in town, and it’s on John Brown University’s campus.
Situated in the former basement of a town house, aptly-named Ground Floor Coffee is the brainchild of marketing sophomore Nathan Wertjes. Their grand opening occurred on Oct. 5, offering free coffee, ice cream, and crepes, but they’ve been open for business since mid September.
Student reception of Ground Floor is generally positive. Emma Cann, sophomore Intercultural Studies and Family and Human major, said she is glad for the new coffee shop because of its convenience and proximity to Hutch Hall, her dorm.
Seth Hastings, a sophomore Engineering student working as a barista at Ground Floor, said he is thankful that Ground Floor is a dedicated coffee shop that has a focus on well-made coffee and well-trained workers. “I’ve worked as a barista before, but not somewhere that, you know, knew what they were doing,” he said. “So that’s cool.”
Ground Floor offers options the Cali simply can’t, according to barista Aaron Morton, a freshman in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. For one thing, Ground Floor employees are trained specifically to make coffee. The Cali’s versatility helps students get food or snacks as well as coffee, but dedicated barista training means Ground Floor employees know the ins and outs of coffee as Cali employees may not, according to Morton.
Another of Ground Floor’s advantages is their high-end espresso machine. Purchased through a grant given to Ground Floor, their machine enables them to make very high-quality coffee. “Our espresso machine is top of the line,” said Morton.
Ground Floor isn’t just about their staff and equipment, though. They get their beans from Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, an award-winning company located in Washington state. Their other specialized ingredients are of similar quality, according to Morton.
Ground Floor’s quality and convenience comes with its own issues, though. “I’m afraid that because it’s here I’ll go to it way too often,” said Cann.
Caleb Place – Copy Editor