Coffee Shop Culture...

Have you ever wondered why coffee shops are so popular? Was it Friends that made it socially popular? The hit TV show where a group of friends meet at the coffee shop and attempt to figure out relationships. 

Or, was it Lorelai from Gilmore Girls who couldn’t go more than a few hours without coffee?

There is just something about taking a cup of coffee that costs less than $1 to make, but ends up making millions of dollars (I’m looking at you Starbucks). What is it that attracts people to places such as this? Granted, coffee is a magical bean that turns a person into a much happier and productive machine. 

Whether you are a coffee drinker or not, when someone asks you if you want to “go grab a cup of coffee together” it is an unwritten rule of an invitation to hang out. Coffee become much more of a social thing, than a necessity (for some). I am sure this is also a culture difference, however this is as much of a thing in Texas as it is in Vancouver. I have had plenty of opportunities to try out many different coffee shops in the area of UBC (the University of British Columbia), but here are my top five favorites!

(Brindley’s) Top 5 coffee shop chains in Vancouver: (Not in this order...) 

The Beanery – Thankfully this place is a 2-minute walk from my apartment and the Korean couple that owns it always greet you with a smile and “Good morning/afternoon!” I LOVE this place since it feels so homey with the TV on a sports channel, the furniture, and the coffee stations that look like the buffet cabinet at home! Annnnd the coffee is cheap, so you can fix it the way you like. 

Bean Around the World – Amazing study atmosphere, when you can find a table that is! Lots of natural lighting and plants makes me feel at home. My favorite thing to get there is a vanilla cappuccino!

Starbucks – I have 5 Starbucks shops within a half of a mile radius. The closest one is about a 3-minute walk and the manager’s name is Taylor (which is my “coffee name” because no one can correctly spell or pronounce my first name… AND it takes too long to spell it for them)

Tim Hortons – I learn several things about Timmies. One, their donuts specially the maple donut is DELICIOUS. Two, it is very Canadian to ask for a “Regular Double-Double” which is a cup of regular coffee with two creams and two packets of sugar.

Blenz – Blenz is a 4-minute walk from my place where I go to say hello to one of my favorite Baristas. Ivan, who is from Hong Kong, speaks in his self-taught cockney accent and makes fun of the way I pronounce Canadian words. For example, it took me 3 minutes to order this AMAZING “Naniamo Bar” pictured below.

“It is a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. It consists of three layers: a wafer and coconut crumb-base, custard flavoured butter icing in the middle and a layer of chocolate ganache on top” according to Wikipedia.

There you have it! All of these double as my "office" where I send emails and update my team with what is happening here! I also get a lot of reading done here. Needless to say, I am so thankful for these places and look forward to exploring more here in Vancouver!