Cafes and coffee shops are great places to stop and grab a pick-me-up to start the day, or boost someone’s energy in the afternoon. Some of these shops are more popular than others, shadowing over smaller businesses. Less popular coffee shops tend to have cheaper prices for the same drink that can be bought at a more popular shop. These smaller businesses are visited less often, whether its due to them not being thought of, or they’re just not on busier streets. 

     High school students are more likely to go to a more well known shop that’s on their way to school than a lesser known one that’s out of the way, but is that always the best option

     When asked in the survey what shop or cafe students thought were underrated, they stated The Human Bean, Pacific Perk, Black Rock Coffee Bar, Little Wuesten and others. These cafes and shops came out to be the most underappreciated.

The Shops

     The Human Bean is a drive-thru coffee stand that offers a range of drinks from espresso to smoothies. They first opened in 1998, in Ashland, OR. In 2002, The Human Bean began franchising their brand nationwide and throughout southern Oregon. There are currently 94 open locations, 13 of which are corporate owned while 81 are franchised.

     One student stated, “It isn’t respected as much as Dutch Bros or Starbucks,” while another stated, “I just don’t hear people talking about it as much as Dutch Bros or Starbucks.”

     Pacific Perk Espresso is a drive-thru coffee stand like The Human Bean; they serve coffee and smoothies as well as baked goods. Their prices are low and affordable, and there is little to no wait time. One student said, “It is small and not very known,” and another student said, “[Its] not talked about.”

     Black Rock Coffee Bar not only has drive-thru coffee stands, it also has walk-in cafes. They describe themselves as “a people company,” and they aim to be more than a place just for coffee. The company started in 2008, when three families teamed up and opened locations throughout Oregon. Out of 101 students, one said, “It’s not as expensive and has the same drinks as Dutch [Bros].” A second student added, “Not a lot of people go there or think to go there, but they have great coffee.”

     Little Wuesten Cafe serves German inspired baked goods, such as pastries and bread, as well as coffee, breakfast, lunch, and on the weekends, dinner. The cafe was started by accident when Liz Bobe, one of the owners, wanted to make German inspired Pastries for her husband, Gerd Bobe who is German. They named the cafe after his hometown. Little Wuesten was opened in 2017 and has had positive reviews ever since. Out of a total of 101 students, one had stated, “There’s not enough people that know about it. Not only do they have great food, but everyone in the staff is amazing and they deserve to be recognized.” Another student said, “I haven’t heard of it until this year and it is a great place to grab a cup of joe.”

     With all of these small, local coffee shops and cafes, it can be worth exploring them to try and find new preferences. They serve great food and coffee at affordable prices for everyone to enjoy, and students can take advantage of this to save money in the long run.