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Cafe Culture

john_denver

By john_denver
in Grand Rapids

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john_denver Hamlet

john_denver

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Does anyone know when the downtown Beaners will open?

Given that the immediate downtown area has several cafes; Urban Mill, Starbucks, Four Friends, The Bitter End, West Coast Coffee in addition to other establishments such as River City Books that serve Espresso drinks...I wonder what the saturation point is for downtown cafes?

Considering the flurry of activity in the downtown area these days, plus all the speculation of future business, I believe all of these current places and future ones can do well.

I hope they all do well! Having lived in the Seattle coffee culture, I like a variety of places one can relax and have coffee.

I just wish they all had a larger customer base that would allow them to stay open on Sundays past 4pm!

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zenstyle Hamlet

zenstyle

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On the subject of downtown coffeehouses, what happened to Morningstar 75 on Weston? I was at UICA a few weeks ago, and walked around the corner...it was locked up tight. I saw an official-looking document taped in the window, but it wasn't a condemnation notice. What's the scoop, downtown mavens?

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GR_Urbanist Burg

GR_Urbanist

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Does anyone know when the downtown Beaners will open?

Given that the immediate downtown area has several cafes; Urban Mill, Starbucks, Four Friends, The Bitter End, West Coast Coffee in addition to other establishments such as River City Books that serve Espresso drinks...I wonder what the saturation point is for downtown cafes?

Considering the flurry of activity in the downtown area these days, plus all the speculation of future business, I believe all of these current places and future ones can do well.

I hope they all do well! Having lived in the Seattle coffee culture, I like a variety of places one can relax and have coffee.

I just wish they all had a larger customer base that would allow them to stay open on Sundays past 4pm!

I dont think it will reach saturation for the simple reason that each one is unique and offers diffrent enviorments for diffrent people. Four Friends is more of the GVSU/High School crowd. West Coast Coffee is more of the lunch hour crowd, Kava is the yuppie/art school people, Dissicusions is where many in the gay community likes to hang out. Of course thats not absolute. Many people just like to go to the ones that has the best atmosphere or best blend of coffee.

They all seem to pack them in, and I think their might be room for many more to the south of Fulton and north of Michigan in the near future.

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Josh Whistle-Stop

Josh

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So, does anyone know what is going on with Beaners?
I don't know anything about the timeline for Beaners going in McKay Tower, but I know that it will be popular and very busy. The one in Grandville near on Ivanrest near the mall is always packed, and everyone I know absolutely loves it there. Does anyone know what the prices are like at Beaners compared to other coffee places? I almost wish I like coffee... :lol:
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NorthEnder Hamlet

NorthEnder

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I don't know anything about the timeline for Beaners going in McKay Tower, but I know that it will be popular and very busy. The one in Grandville near on Ivanrest near the mall is always packed, and everyone I know absolutely loves it there. Does anyone know what the prices are like at Beaners compared to other coffee places? I almost wish I like coffee... :lol:

I was devisatated when the Urban Mill on the beltline went under, however the one downtown is still there, and generally the atmosphere is nice. Having said that, I hate walking in at night in the summer, the bugs on the riverside are enough to make a grown man cry.

Unfortunately, we're getting another STARBUCKS on the north side, where plainfield/e. beltline/northland all come together, in some new stripmall that is going to go up in the parkinglot infront of the family fare. Starbucks has run out many good coffee shops in the area, unfortunately.

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snoogit Town

snoogit

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I was devisatated when the Urban Mill on the beltline went under, however the one downtown is still there, and generally the atmosphere is nice. Having said that, I hate walking in at night in the summer, the bugs on the riverside are enough to make a grown man cry.

Unfortunately, we're getting another STARBUCKS on the north side, where plainfield/e. beltline/northland all come together, in some new stripmall that is going to go up in the parkinglot infront of the family fare. Starbucks has run out many good coffee shops in the area, unfortunately.

the starbucks invasion has taken a lot more time here then in others, I think it has to do with the fact that the coffe culture was already well established by the time they came.

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eagle Whistle-Stop

eagle

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the starbucks invasion has taken a lot more time here then in others, I think it has to do with the fact that the coffe culture was already well established by the time they came.

This is absolutely correct. G.R. was actually quit progressive with the coffee shop culture way before the Starbucks revolution made it mainstream.

I'm very proud of our diverse coffee culture here (and I'm proud I was onboard way before it became "cool.") We do have plenty of Starbucks but they haven't seemed to hurt the locally owned, creative, coffee shops. Even Beaners, although a franchise, is at least a Michigan company.

I spend a lot of time in Cleveland and it's very tough to find a good coffee shop and when I'm in Chicago it seems all I can find is Starbuck's.

I read an interesting article that said that Starbuck's doesn't necessarily hurt, and sometimes helps local coffee shops. They created a demand for and made it normal to buy gourmet coffee rather than picking up a cup at Speedway. So they helped to create the demand for good coffee but not exclusively Starbuck's coffee. You may have gotten hooked on a Cafe Latte at a Starbucks in Chicago but now frequent the Bagel Beanery by your office. You don't care that it's not Starbucks (and probably like it better!)

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john_denver Hamlet

john_denver

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I just found a great new cafe called "Cafe Aromas". It's in the Roosevelt Park area of town...880 Grandville SW to be exact.

It's only been open for three months but it's a very relaxing place. I had the Cuban pork sandwhich for lunch and it was very good!

Their hours cater mostly to weekday people: M-F 6am-7pm only.

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