With finals week quickly approaching, it’s no secret that last minute studying will be taking place. Here are three local coffee shops that offer a quiet and relaxed environment, prime for studying as well as delicious drinks and tasty treats.
Mammoth Cafe
Mammoth Cafe is a simple and eclectic coffee shop on the corner of 5th and Monmouth Streets in Newport, Ky. Mismatched kitchen tables, chairs, what seems to be a church pew lining one wall and a bar fill the medium-sized coffee joint.
“Mainly the weekdays there’s a lot of business people in,” said Mammoth Cafe shift manager, Allen Nagel. “And then the weekends there are a lot more college students in, it’s more of a study atmosphere.”
Whether grabbing something to-go before work or studying, Mammoth Cafe offers an array of coffee drinks, tea, and smoothies as well as breakfast and lunch food all day. “Our signature items would be the goetta waffle and the cured bootlegger,” said Nagel, which is roasted turkey, bacon, gouda cheese and a pepper jelly jam.
Hours: Weekdays 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Weekends 8 a.m. -3 p.m.
Outdoor seating: Yes
Noise Level: Moderate
Accepts credit cards: Yes
Parking: Street and lot
Free WiFi: Yes
Tea: Yes
Smoothies: Yes
Pastries: Yes
Food: Breakfast and lunch
Signature/unique drink: The iced Triple-Play: A coffee drink with french vanilla, english toffee and caramel
Reality Tuesday
With an open layout and eye-catching chalkboard wall displaying the menu, Reality Tuesday Cafe is a coffee shop that has recently changed they way they run their business.
“We used to do a lot of live music,” said Reality Tuesday Cafe’s barista, Tanner Ziese, “But we now want it to be more centered around a ‘focus’ environment where you can do homework.”
Along with a quiet and relaxed environment, this cafe is stocked with Numi tea, hot and cold coffee drinks, seven flavors of Chai tea, a breakfast and lunch menu available until an hour before close, pastries made fresh each night and six different smoothies as well as supplements such as soy, vitamin boost and banana.
Located on Dixie Highway in Park Hills, Ky., mornings at Reality Tuesday Cafe consist of commuters traveling to work followed by an afternoon rush when schools let out.
“At night there is a mix of college students and old people,” said Ziese, “But usually every night there are college students studying with laptops.”
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Fri-Sat 6:30 a.m. -10 p.m.
Sun 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Outdoor seating: Yes
Noise level: Quiet
Accepts credit cards: Yes
Parking: Lot
Free WiFi: Yes, password at register
Tea: Yes
Smoothies: Yes
Pastries: Yes
Food: Yes
Signature/unique drink: The Grasshopper: A milkshake with mint, oreos, milk, ice, and frappe
Velocity Bike & Bean
Velocity Bike & Bean, located on Burlington Pike in Florence, Ky. across from the skate park, is a unique cafe that also doubles as a bicycle shop. “The shop has a bit of a vintage feel to it,” said Velocity Bike & Bean owner, Mark Ball.
Upon entry, the cozy and vintage feel that the cafe has, is the first sight a customer is greeted with. The indoor space then smoothly transitions into a bike shop toward the back of the space.
“Our customer base is all over the place,” said Ball, “so it really just depends on what time of day it is.” Regardless on the time of day, this coffee shop remains a quiet place throughout the week where high school students visit, college students study and business meetings take place.
While Velocity Bike & Bean may not serve any food they would have to be prepared “on-site,” they offer a generous amount of Tazo hot teas, as well as Chai lattes such as their, “Dirty hippie.”
Another drink, named by a member of of the local band Seabird, is rightly called, “the Seabird,” and is a blend of cane sugar, espresso and cream. “It’s two shots in a 12 ounce,” said Ball, “so its more about ratios and getting the balance right to make a clean and simple drink.”
Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sun closed
Outdoor seating: No
Noise level: Quiet
Accepts credit cards: Yes
Parking: Lot
Free WiFi: Yes
Tea: Yes
Smoothies: Seasonal for summer
Pastries: Yes
Food: Yes
Signature/unique drink: Nutella Mocha or the Seabird: cane sugar, espresso and cream
