“Donkey now carries seltzer on tap, nitro and cold brew coffee.”-Logan Essex, a barista at Donkey Coffee and Espresso
When it comes to coffee, Athens doesn’t disappoint, and the options are a dime a dozen. The shops on campus range from Donkey Coffee and Espresso to Brenen’s Coffee Cafe to Fluff Bakery. There are plenty of shops serving local, fair trade coffee, and they’re proud of it.
Don’t be freaked out if you walk in Donkey, 17 W. Washington St., and are surprised with their changes. Over the summer, the shop changed the location of its creamer table. The new creamer table is built up against the wall, where a table used to be. Now, you won’t have to squeeze past other people when leaving, consequently knocking off newspapers.
The wood countertop, which features Donkey’s logo, is made by Red Tail Design Company. The countertop also now carries Stevia in the Raw, a natural sugar alternative.
The table is also wheelchair accessible, where Donkey’s Instagram post says “At Donkey, we're making some changes. These changes include increased accessibility for people with disabilities. Check out our wider spaces and more accessible condiments, because we believe every person can and should enjoy their coffee!”
Logan Essex, a barista at the coffee shop, became trained with the new taps and the store layout, just like all the other baristas.
“Donkey now carries seltzer on tap, nitro and cold brew coffee,” Essex said.
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Donkey Coffee, located on 17 W Washington Street in Athens, Ohio.
Essex believes the most incremental change is the point of sales (POS) system. Donkey completely revamped its reward point system. Before, customers would receive a point for ever drink they ordered, but now, the system is dollar-based, meaning every dollar one spends, they receive a point. Donkey now also takes orders online for pickup via its < a href="http://donkeycoffee.com/?page_id=70">website.
Josh Thomas and his wife, Jessica, have co-owned Brenen’s since 2000, serving students and Athens residents alike.
Since Spring Semester, Brenen’s, 38 S. Court St., added cold brew tea and nitro tea, which will rotate throughout the year.
“The teas are organic, and some are caffeine-free,” Thomas said. “We’ve had cold-brew coffee for about four years now.”
The shop also brought in the smothered chicken panini, which includes chicken, portabella mushrooms, green peppers, onions, provolone cheese, red pepper pesto, mayo and is baked on a panini.
Village Bakery, 268 E. State St., has incorporated new and exciting menu items. For its seasonal veggies, the shop switched to tomatoes and then will carry roasted red peppers out of season. The bakery gets its veggies from local farms, so it’s all dependent on the farm’s availability and stock.
As far as drinks, Village started carrying oat milk and now has a summer peppermint tea. In the fall, Village will carry apple cider and syrup for lattes like matcha and pumpkin.
Fluff Bakery, 8 N. Court St., had a busier summer than usual. Since Spring Semester, it added the Thai wrap, which is like the Thai bowl but with chicken. Being a gluten-free bakery, some of the pastries are gluten-free. The sticky buns and the pepperoni and cheese rolls are gluten-free.
Court Street Coffee, 67 S. Court St., also had a lot happening over the summer. According to Instagram, just over the course of a couple months, the shop gained a new blend to purchase, a brand new espresso machine and won first place in an annual Athenian contest.
Charlie Fulks, manager of the coffee shop, met the women of Chica Beans, an all-female coffee farm the shop partners with. Court Street Coffee also has multiple roasts, including medium and dark.
Online ordering is coming soon, but it won’t be ready for the start of the semester.
“The shop is now carrying vegetarian and meat wraps and buddha bowls from Kindred Market,” Fulks said.
Court Street not only serves quality coffee but won first place in the Most Imaginative category for the Athens in Bloom contest, where businesses were asked to plant a pot, a hanging basket, a flower bed, window front or line their entire property with flowers.