A coffee lover’s guide: The best places to get a caffeine boost on campus

By Rachneet Randhawa, September 21 2021—

We’re counting down our top five best places to grab a coffee on campus. Now, to avoid being generic, we will not include big-name coffeehouse chains like Tim Hortons or Starbucks. Not only are those obvious choices for most of us, but we also want to support more niche and local businesses that brew some delicious coffee. For your reference, here’s a complete list of coffee outlets on campus by building. 

The Coffee Company:

I have always been a fan of this place. It took me a while to warm up to it, but it was well worth it — especially their hazelnut cream coffee blend, which is simply delectable. Their pastries are a bit overpriced, but I appreciate the fact that they’re located in Mac Hall and I don’t have to wait in a long queue, unlike other coffee places on campus.

Good Earth:

This is the next best and I guess premium choice after Starbucks with two convenient locations — one in the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) and another in the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) building. Although their espresso is a bit strong for my taste, most of their drinks really pack a punch. Whether you’re grabbing a cafe mocha or latte, you’ll be sure to be awake for those pesky early morning lectures.

Teeja:

If you are willing to make the trek to the other side of the world, we suggest you check out this place in the EEEL building. Ironically, coffee is not their strong suit, but they do have that option. If you’re equally a lover of tea like myself, you’ll love their 100 per cent organic tea bar, free of toxic chemicals and additives. So, if you’re all about sustainability or being a health-nut, I would drop by for tea instead. 

Coffee dispensaries: 

These are places that don’t specialize in making coffee, per se. There are one-off places like The Landing in the dining hall, which offers an automated dispensary with some fun flavours, or and Bento Sushi in the Education Tower. These aren’t exactly premium coffee places, but don’t be deterred. Dispensaries are a good option for those of you who are in a rush and scurrying to get to your group meetings. On a brighter note, Cinnzeo has recently opened a new location on campus and also sells different but basic blends of coffee. 

Again, you may just prefer your good ol’ Starbucks. In that case, you’ll find three convenient locations — one in the bookstore, another across the Olympic Oval, close to Crowsnest Hall and the last nearby the U of C residence buildings in Yamnuska Hall. Another fun fact — many offices on campus offer coffee free of charge if you’re dropping in to study or volunteer as a peer helper, like the Women’s Resource Centre, if you’re on a budget or prefer a simpler drink. 

As you can see, you have a boatload of options to get your caffeine buzz on and there’s bound to be something for everyone. If you’ve never had coffee and were a low-key hot chocolate lover or aren’t a fan of coffee to begin with, as an incoming freshman we guarantee you’ll adopt a semi-addiction by your senior year either way. So keep calm and coffee on because where there’s coffee, there’s hope.