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Best coffee shops in Copper Country for students

November 12, 2018

Lion Around perks- talking about the best coffee shopsSitting outside the 5th & Elm Coffee located on campus, Lion Around discussed all the best coffee shops in the Copper Country. Both Monica and Gina are regular-ish coffee drinkers, who believe that coffee is beneficial to keep students functioning during their college careers. Geliche started drinking coffee within the last two to three years, while Freeman picked up the habit her senior year of high school. Due to their caffeine habits, the Lion Around hosts has scoured the Copper Country for coffee shops during the past three years.

Favoring the unique aspects of the local shops more than the pre-packaged chain stores, the list they formed does not have Biggby Coffee on it, nor does it have the on-campus coffee shops located on Michigan Tech and Finlandia’s campuses. Freeman and Geliche decided it would be important to discuss things like; price for a plain old cup of joe, specialty drinks, food menu, distance from campus, personal suggestions, study ability, hours and unique aspects of the shop.

Houghton Coffee Shops

Starting with Houghton, which has the most local coffee shops, the first shop discussed is 5th & Elm. Originally started in Calumet, on the corner of 5th and Elm, the shop has two and a half locations, one in Calumet, one in Houghton and a small shop located on Finlandia’s campus. While Houghton may not be the primary location, it tends to be the one that drives the most traffic. Freeman and Geliche praised the food menu at the shop, which is stocked with different sandwiches, salads, wraps and breakfast items. Freeman mentioned that it is the only place she knows of in the local area that sells matcha green tea for anyone who needs a caffeine buzz but doesn’t necessarily enjoy coffee.

Also, in Houghton is the Bookworm, Cyberia and Steep & Brew. The Bookworm is located at the split in the road that takes drivers into downtown Houghton. The shop sells used books, meats and ice cream, outside of coffee. Bookworm is also one of the local shops that offers a punch card when you purchase their beverages. Freeman and Geliche suggest stopping by Cyberia to buy their coffee shakes or blended drinks. Cyberia offers various discounts throughout the year, for example in fall if you wear Ugg boots, customers can knock a percentage off their drink. The shop also offers free cereal after a certain time if customers come in wearing their pajamas. Outside of the fun perks, Cyberia has a quiet atmosphere for students to study in. Steep & Brew is the final coffee shop in Houghton, and is the only local coffee shop that has a drive-through. What it makes up for in drive through-ness, it lacks in inside space, since it is a part of an antique/resale place.

Hancock Coffee Shops

KC Bonkers is Hancock’s premiere coffee shop. While also selling coffee, customers can come in and shop for toys as well. Freeman and Geliche love to go grab a coffee and play the games that customers are able to play when they come in. Geliche suggests buying a Bonker Bubbler, a carbonated drink that customers can choose the flavoring for, as well as unicorn milk (cream) and clouds (whipped cream). In the coffee vein, Freeman suggests getting the Kablooey, which is a mocha with spices in it, so if customers have a low spice tolerance, Freeman suggests not getting that.

Calumet

Café Rosetta is the final place on Freeman and Geliche’s list. It is the farthest away, at a 15 min drive, whereas all the others are within walking distance. Café Rosetta also has a larger food menu with sandwiches, salads and breakfast foods. Freeman remarked that their Instagram game is “on point,” as they post the daily updates of their soups and muffins of the day.

Mistakenly forgotten in the podcast, Calumet is also home to Keweenaw Coffee Works, a coffee shop and coffee roaster. With a new location, Keweenaw Coffee Works sells a variety of locally roasted blends, Freeman and Geliche have tried, and suggest having the Suomi blend and the Borealis blend. The location features a coffee extraction bar and “coffee shop” food (pastries, muffins, danishes). From online pictures, the new location looks more modern than the other local shops. Unfortunately, Freeman and Geliche have yet to visit Keweenaw Coffee Works, but it is on their list of places to visit before graduation.

FINLANDIA PODCAST NETWORK

Thanks for checking out Finlandia Fridays, one of four podcasts in the Finlandia University Podcast Network. Finlandia Fridays is a weekly interview series talking about a wide range of Finlandia University topics. You can check out an archive at finlandia.edu/fridays. We also invite you to subscribe to the Finlandia Podcast Network wherever you get podcasts.

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