If there is one thing Gainesville is not lacking, it is coffee. There are coffee shops all over the city, ranging from neighborhood coffee stores like Coffee Culture, to national chains such as Starbucks. The University of Florida campus even has four Starbucks Coffee stores! But now, a new coffee shop has joined the mix, and it is called Wyatt’s Coffee.
Wyatt’s Coffee is located at 16 NW 18th St., Unit 120 — at the back of the Roberts’ Stadium Club building on West University Avenue, which is beside the Delta Upsilon Fraternity house. It is in a prime location for students who need a quick coffee fix as they are traveling in the midtown area. Wyatt’s Coffee is a small store — about as big as an average-sized dorm — with only about 10 places to sit on the inside. Luckily, the shop makes up for its lack of size in its atmosphere and food products.
Being a coffee lover myself, I decided to try out Wyatt’s Coffee last week. I went on a Sunday, thinking that it would be slow, but I was surprised when I showed up and found nine people ahead of me in line. I suspect this had to do with the fact that Wyatt’s was offering free coffee at that time as part of its soft opening.
While I waited in line, I had plenty of time to check out the décor; Wyatt’s is decorated like a family room. The walls are painted navy blue, and there are shelves near the ceiling that contain books and vases. Other shelves in the store contain gourmet chocolate bars and coffee beans.
Ordering in the store is similar to ordering at Starbucks. You step up to the register and order your items, and then stand around and wait while it is prepared. An employee will call your name once your drink is ready. You have the option of purchasing candy bars, baked goods from Baker Baker, ice pops from Hyppo, tea and, of course, coffee.
Wyatt’s menu has a variety of coffee choices to choose from, as well as different preparation methods, like immersion and cold brew. Not being overly familiar with the coffee choices on the menu, I just ordered what the person in front of me ordered, which was the “Wallabout.” The Wallabout is a blend of Peru Sandia Valley and Colombia Los Naranjos coffees. I chose “pour over” as my preparation method because the employee told me that method would make the coffee very smooth.
I waited about 10 minutes for my coffee to be served. There were chairs outside the store in the hallway where you could sit, which was a welcome change from the Starbucks stores on campus. Once I got my coffee, I finished it off with some sugar and half and half and headed on my way. The taste was pretty good, richer than the coffee I am used to drinking at work. And I got a generous amount of the drink for what would have normally cost $3.75.
All in all, I really liked Wyatt’s Coffee. It is a cute little shop with a laid-back environment and great coffee. Because of how quiet it is, I believe it will be a great place to study once exams begin in December. The only fault I saw with Wyatt’s was the wait time; b y the time I had received my coffee, I had been there for over 30 minutes (but this could have been because of the free coffee that day). Either way, Wyatt’s offers great coffee and a great environment for a reasonable price. If you are unsatisfied with other coffee shops in Gainesville, or just want to try someplace new, give Wyatt’s Coffee a try.
Photo Credit:
Ellen Bazley