6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS CHOICE AWARDS Photo credit: Stella Lansill OCTOBER 18, 2024 A2 downtown coffee shop extravaganza! CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 In the past two years we have seen an explosion of coffee houses across Ann Arbor. What I find very intriguing is that each coffee shop does not just serve coffee but has its signature features — whether it be happy fairy doors or the connection to the L.G.B.T.Q community. Each coffee shop is not just a coffee shop; they are meetups, gatherings, social events and meeting locations. Coffee plays a huge role in the morning; the ritual of pulling oneself out of bed is like crossing the Grand Canyon each morning. But one thing most people can agree on is the very first tasty sip that brings one back to life. As I walked around town I realized that ten years ago coffee was but a ghost of its current self. Only a handful of coffeeshops existed then: Espresso Royale, Starbucks and Sweetwaters, not to mention Cloverleaf and the Fleetwood Diner. What we have now is amazing because you don’t need to get off your route to find a coffee shop. The coffee shop will pop up wherever you now walk. Yippy! What an amazing convenience. I will now list many of the coffee shops by what makes each most agreeable. Bitty & Beau’s was founded by the Wright family in honor of their two children Bitty and Beau who have Down Syndrome. It changes the way people see other people. Just opened, the Moka & Co. is a wonderful specialty Yemeni coffee shop. Yemeni owned and operated, this coffee shop came about through family tradition from Yemen. The grandparents wanted to bring to America the delightful full taste of sun-dried, no-pesticides, all-natural coffee with a touch of cardamon spice called smoky spice blend with a full homemade flavor. Cahoots has a wonderful, modern, quiet atmosphere with high ceilings and abstract paintings. It is an L.G.B.T.Q friendly and gender-neutral space. This coffee shop is a co-working space and has a great backroom area for large events like group meetings and gatherings. House of Chimney Cake is a very child-friendly atmosphere covered in the delightful color pink (my personal favorite) with wonderful pink roses and a happy photo of angel wings. These yummy ice cream delights and milkshakes and sherbet with no milk hit the spot everytime. Hyperion is a very strong customer interaction community. Here, many have become friends. In part because the shop is so small. Hyperion has a direct relationship with the farmers and ethically-sourced coffee. Right in your cup. At Roos Roast, the staff are super friendly and extremely helpful. The other point is the warm atmosphere and very agreeable location (close to Groundcover and the bus station). If you want to see good artwork on display, Roos Roast is the place to go. My personal fave is the Miss Pac-Man table. Sweetwaters is a long-established coffeehouse; they recently celebrated their 30 year anniversary. Kids come to Sweetwaters to see the fairy door display by Jonathan B. Wright at the Ashley and Washington location. There are still fairy doors around Ann Arbor to hunt and see. Place a token for the fairy who lives there and don't forget to make a wish every time. The artworks on the wall are for sale all year long. There is a wonderful meeting area in the back for business and groups. For the furry friends there are happy pup cups (whipped cream), yum yum! Le Bon Macaron is a wonderful French-inspired cafe that has a large variety of colorful tasty macarons — pina colada, violet and rose are on the menu. All syrups are made in-house with Italian and French sodas. Their white spring atmosphere with chandelier lighting is so quaint . At Cannelle, the outdoor seating area brings on a truly tropical sensation. You will feel total relaxation as you step inside. Supermodern soft music greets you for a quiet study area. Cannelle is known for its large variety of pastries and yum yum eclairs, and amazing smells. Vendor Cuba tells us it’s the best espresso coffee around. Mr. Cuba says it can't be beat! At Toastiques, live plants greet each customer in a warm modern atmosphere with a down-home feeling and happy smiles. This coffee is ethically sourced from Ethiopia and the chocolate is from Brazil. My fave is the health boosters shots which are great during the cold season, along with good soups and sandwiches. Cinnaholic — Make your own yum yum cinnamon bun creation with a large variety of toppings to choose from! The smells are to die for — come get a taste of happy today! Bakehouse48 has the largest variety of tasty cupcakes with seasonal ones as well. They are very kid friendly and they offer sandwiches, donuts, cookies and bagels, but by far the most fun are the tiny mouth-watering mini baby cupcakes that everyone loves. Shinola Cafe is very quiet with a calm atmosphere and a speakeasy vibe. With low light and a comfortable setting and wonderful work spaces for being on a laptop, they offer a single origin espresso with a large variety of music. The popular cafe Argus Farm Stop offers a one-stop shop for a seven-daya-week hyperlocal farmers market. The relaxed mood makes a great meetup location for family and friends. They are a consignment model (70% of the sale of goods and food go to the producer). Very down-home atmosphere. Downtown Home and Garden is the location for the truly cheapest coffee in town; it has a warm homey atmosphere and don't forget happy puppy treats! Dunkin’ is brand new to the scene on Liberty: tasty donuts with cute happy donut holes!! A second location is to open on the corner of William and State Street very soon. That concludes 16 shops for your delight. Take a tour of the shops and try out new tasty treats. You never know what you will find that will change your mind and become a new favorite … YUM YUM!
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