lifestyles
coffee talk
espresso machine
cappuccino
It's not just for breakfast.
Story by Casey Barnes Photos by Jenny Brannan
Mocha con Amor
C coffee is not just coffee anymore.
With alternatives like Raspberries and Cream, Mocha con Amor and Brewed Black Forest, is ordinary brewed coffee losing its popularity?
Coffee retailers say it has not, but it has been gaining competition as specialty coffee drinks and coffee houses continue to increase in popularity.
Steve Lacoss, employee at the Bourgeois Pig,
6 E. Ninth St., said that although it had many
different types of drinks, the most popular coffee
at the Bourgeois Pig was brewed coffee. They
offer five different flavors: Decaffeinated
Colombian, Colombian Velvet, Hazelnut,
Double French Roast and Black Magic.
But the coffee business has expanded beyond just brewed coffee, and Lawrence has been catching up in a hurry.
Espresso, cappuccino and latte have become the new trend in coffee drinking. Espresso is an extremely strong coffee with a quicker brewing cycle than regular coffee. Cappuccino is a third espresso, a third frothed milk and a third steamed milk. Latte is a small concentration of espresso in a large quantity of steamed milk, capped with frotted milk.
Lacoss, who has been in the coffee business for six years, said the increase in coffee shops in Lawrence was due to profitability and trendiness.
"Coffee is a huge trend," Lacoss said. "The coffee industry has exploded in the past five years and has manifested itself from the cafe all the way to the whole bean commodity market."
Flavored syrups, alcohol and chocolate can also be added to these drinks, creating a large variety of specialty coffees.
Lacoss said the increase in the coffee business was not a fad but a trend towards people becoming more educated about the drinks.
"Coffee appreciation is similar to wine appreciation," he said. "Ten years ago people thought coffee was just coffee, but people's pallets are becoming more attuned to the differences between Folger's and specialty coffees."
The Bourgeois Pig is the only coffee shop in Lawrence that serves alcohol.
The owners wanted a place at the high end of the market, offering the highest quality of coffee, liquor and beer. Lacoss said.
Serving quality products is a priority for most of the coffee shops in Lawrence.
But offering people an alternative to bars and restaurants for late-night studying and early morning starts is also important.
Derek Hogan, owner of The Java Break, 17 E Seventh St., said his shop was open 24 hours a day. Alcohol is not served, but smoking is allowed in certain areas.
The shop has poetry readings periodically and a lot of chit chat, Hogan said.
"We decided to stay open all night because downtown is not open all night," he said. "It gives people some place to go after the bars have closed."
Ronda Rolley, Phoenix graduate student, said she liked to go to coffee shops after a night out on the town.
"When I'm hungry and not ready to go home, coffee shops that are open 24 hours are a fun place to go," she said. "It is a fun atmosphere, and there are a lot of interesting people to watch."
The Java Break has a second location in The End Compact Disc and Tapes, 1000 Massachusetts St.
Leon Wilber, co-owner of Sebastian's Coffee House, 620 W 12th St., which plans to open in the next few weeks, said that because of its location close to campus, he anticipated most of the shop's customers to be students.
La Prima Tazza, 638 Massachusetts St., is not open all night and does not allow smoking. Cafe Terra Nova, 920 Massachusetts St., does not allow smoking and has a full menu.
Most coffee houses also serve pastries, teas, sodas and steamers, or steamed milk with flavoring.
Wilber said that coffee shops had been coming to Lawrence because it was more upscale than other cities.
"KU is always a little bit more progressive and in touch with broader trends," he said. "Lawrence is attracting the coffee scene more than most Midwest cities, and it is just because of the attitude of the people that frequent the campus."
But not all students like coffee.
Clint Kueffer, Lawrence senior, said he did not have much reason to frequent the coffee shops in town.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
"I don't drink coffee, and I don't have the time to hang out in a coffee shop," Kueffer said.
Lawrence Nightlife Calendar
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
Bad Livers with Hellcat Trio, 10 tonight, cover charge
Salty lguanas with No Leaf Stone, 10 p.m. tomorrow, cover charge
Kill Creek with Chainsaw Kittens, 10 p.m. Saturday,
cover charge
Open Mic Night, 9:30 p.m. Monday, no cover charge
Mule with Molly McGuire, 10 p.m. Tuesday, cover charge
Sinister Dane and Power & Fear, 10 p.m. Thursday, cover charge
Gwar with Buzz Oven and Bile, 10 p.m. Wednesday, cover charge
Mulligan's
1016 Massachusetts St.
Ricky Dean Sinatra, 10:30 tonight, $3
First Light, 10:30 p.m. tomorrow, $3
Acid Jazz with Sir Duke, 8 p.m. Monday, $2
KU Jazz Ensembles, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, cover charge
The Jazzhaus of Lawrence
926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
926/1/2 massachusetts St.
Konevet Meet, 10 toight, cover chark
Monkey Meet, 10 tonight, cover charge
Son Venezuela, 10 p.m. tomorrow and Satur-
dav. cover charge
Action Man, 10 p.m. Thursday, cover charge Common Ground, 10 p.m. Friday, cover charge Christmas Formal with Jazzhaus Big Band, 10 p.m. Saturday, cover charge
Granada Theater
1020 Massachusetts St.
1020 Massachusetts St.
Stop Day Party, 9 tonight, $4-5
Mondo Disco with D.J. Ray and Doc Marten, 9
p.m. tomorrow, $4-5
Caribe, 9 p.m. Saturday, $6
'Hawk Night, 9 p.m. Wednesday, $4-5
"Feel the Vibe," 9 p.m. Thursday, $4-5
Full Moon Cafe
803 Massachusetts St.
New Groove Dictionary, 9 tonight, no cover charge
The Creek Bank Ghetto Boys, 9 p.m. tomorrow.
no cover charge
My Childhood Hero (formerly known as Young Johnny Carson Story), 9 p.m. Saturday, no cover charge
Lou's Revenge, 8 p.m. Tuesday, no cover charge
String Daddy with Alagna & Kori, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, no cover charge
Espresso
4
Larry Hoover, 9 p.m. Thursday, no cover charge