Court Street Coffee

       The second I walked into Court Street Coffee I was greeted by a friendly barista that was standing behind the counter. The tone of her voice automatically made me feel very welcome in this establishment. After sitting down and taking in the vibes of the coffee shop I really noticed that it had a very home-based feel to it. There are couches and chairs in the front where people can sit, relax and talk. Then there is a separate room in the back and to the side with tables and chairs where many OU students sit to study and do homework. These areas have more light than the front of the shop does; I speculate that this is due to people coming in to do work at the tables. Something that I found very interesting is that there is a family style table in the very back where a group of girls sat with coffee while working on some sort of group project.

       This place is very different from a Starbucks, yet it attracts the same base of people and serves the same purpose. These people, mostly students, are looking for a good cup of coffee and may be interested in getting some work done. The main difference between the two is that Court Street Coffee is very relaxed and the colors and paintings on the walls are filled with rich earth tones along with splashes of color that make you feel at home. Another difference is the mismatch of the furniture that gives each table you sit at a different feel. This shop existing in Athens shows the emphasis of the small noncommercial businesses existing in the town. This coffee shop offers a warm experience to anyone that comes in.