Cafes for cups of coffee
Find a few cafes to enjoy this fall season
As the fall season begins to engulf Michigan, hot drinks rise in likability, which puts a certain location at the top of peoples’ to-do lists: cafes.
Lula’s Cafe
Location: 45271 Market St, Shelby Charter Twp, MI 48315
Hours: Monday—Friday 10 a.m.—10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. — 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.
Under fairy lights, Lula’s Cafe welcomes guests with friendly smiles and helpful suggestions. Their menu includes coffees, smoothies and food—both healthy and not so much; however, their tea selection only consists of one: the chai tea latte. As someone who isn’t usually a fan of chai tea, it’s safe to say theirs is delicious. For seating, Lula’s Cafe holds a wide variety: tables and chairs, bar stools and couches. This cafe, though small in size, carries huge popularity since on a Wednesday night, every seat except a cushioned chair was filled. Although a little pricey—$10 for most foods—considering the comforting music in the background, the helpful staff, the various seating and the warm atmosphere, Lula’s Cafe rates four out of five coffee cups.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
Location: 45629 Hayes Rd, Shelby Charter twp, MI 48315
Hours: Monday—Friday 6 a.m. — 9 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. — 9 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea uses a mass of windows to let a great expanse of light shine on their modern decor. Their menu consists of a wide variety of all types of drinks—coffees, teas and other drink options—along with multiple dessert and small savory snack options. Personally, their strawberry cream macaroons reach the top on a “to-order” list. Although seating options don’t include cushioned seats, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea contains many small to medium sized tables and one large table that holds many outlets around the sides. To support the community, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea displays artwork from members of the Shelby Township Fine Arts Society, which hangs across a wall for sale. With low prices for both drinks and food—ranging from about $1.50-$7, combined with fast, friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere—Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea rates five out of five coffee cups.
Just Love Coffee Cafe
Location: 49453 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Charter Twp, MI 48317
Hours: Monday—Thursday 8 a.m. — 6 p.m., Friday—Sunday 8 a.m. — 4 p.m.
Quiet besides the background noise of guests’ voices, Just Love Coffee Cafe’s large tables work great for study groups. Their seating includes simply tables and chairs, but it seems that cushioned chairs are only temporarily unavailable. The menu consists of a fair variety of food and drinks with the exception of smoothies and their fruit is very fresh. One helpful aspect the cafe involved in their design includes laminated menus taped to every table. However, Just Love Coffee Cafe leans more towards a lunch spot with full meals instead of cafe snacks, so it’s more pricey with foods ranging from about $6-$10 with a couple exceptions. Although the atmosphere doesn’t live up to the comfort of the other cafes, Just Love Coffee Cafe rates 3.5 out of five coffee cups.
Coffee Beanery
Location: 52857 Schoenherr Center, Shelby Township, MI 48315
Hours: Monday—Saturday 7 a.m. — 6 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
The Coffee Beanery shows its welcoming qualities with an open layout and its theme of wood and comforting colors like grey, black and white. On the menu, there’s a fair selection of teas, lots of coffees and a great selection of smoothies and blended drinks. Their prices are low for both their quality drinks and food, which are delivered with fast service. Different from other cafes, the Coffee Beanery exhibits two televisions on a wall and uses a drive-thru to serve more customers. Also, their free Wi-Fi works very well, according to senior Meghan Lepowski, who visits the cafe often to do homework. Even though the staff weren’t as over-the-top friendly as at Lula’s Cafe, it still rates five out of five coffee cups.
As for specific needs, with the quietness and the other with only the televisions, Just Love Coffee Cafe and the Coffee Beanery are best for studying or completing homework, especially because they aren’t as busy. If looking for a great variety of teas, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea is the best option. Lula’s Cafe is best for people looking for unique foods and quiet background music.
Additionally, all cafes have some sort of fall special on the menu to try, so that’s another reason to make one or all of these cafes a regular go-to spot this fall. There are many cafes other than commercial places, like Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts; they just need to be found and taken a chance on.
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