Good Things Brewing: Review of East’s Columbia Brew Coffee Shop

The distinct smell of coffee wafts through the hallways. That means only one thing: The Columbia Brew Coffee Shop is back. 

Everytime I walked past the vacant coffee shop room last year,  I wondered when it would finally reopen. Upperclassmen had hyped it up, so when I saw the post on @smecoffeeshop saying it would be back, I knew I would be in line first thing in the morning.

A day after the coffee shop opened, I arrived at East at 7:15 a.m. and hurried to room 417 to grab a quick caffeine boost before my AP European History class. I was impressed with the cleanliness and organization of the room, from the nicely sectioned shelves to the assembly line of creamers and milks which make the room simply inviting. The scent of coffee brewing, the bright lights and sounds of students chattering and discussing homework made it a perfect place for a quick breakfast break. 

And if you’re not a big coffee or tea person, no problem. The fridges have varieties of sodas, water, celsius and GoGo Squeezes.

I decided to get the iced coffee. With a short line and great customers service, I was in and out of the coffee shop within 5 minutes.

I’m not normally a coffee drinker, and was plainly unaware of the fact creamer can (and should) go in coffee, so when I took a ridiculously big sip of the straight black coffee, it hit me like a bus. 

Looking around, I noticed other people standing in a different line adding cream, milk and flavoring to their coffee and tea. Business and marketing teacher and Columbia Brew adviser Mrs. Doane took one look at the dark brown coffee in my hand and squinting face from behind the counter and handed me two hazelnut creamers — they were game changers. However, regardless of the creamers, I still wasn’t truly sold on the coffee. 

Now that I knew the black iced coffee wasn’t for me, I returned to try something different. To steer clear of bitterness, I opted for plain iced tea and it was exponentially better than the coffee. It was much less harsh on my tastebuds and the overall flavor was better than the iced coffee.

Doane said the students running the shop had written a grant for an espresso machine so they could add lattes, chais and cappuccinos to their menu, which would definitely add some variety in the freshly-made drinks department. 

The students take on the hardships and successes of the shop. They handle the money, the ordering, determining the prices and the profit margin, all of this of course with the oversight of  Doane. 

However the downside to a student-run shop is the hours they’re open are limited. They’re only open before school, first hour, second hour and seminar. During fourth hour passing period, my friend asked me to stop by the coffee shop with her. However, when we arrived the lights were off and no one was in there. I think it would be a fun place to stop for a snack or place to hangout with friends after rough day at school (or a good one), but the problem with that is having the workers to run it and still have time to plan and prepare for the following morning. 

Besides the hours the shop is open, Columbia Brew is still a convenient spot as a student. You don’t have to drive anywhere before school because it’s already there. And as someone who’s basically broke, the pricing of everything there is a life saver.

Ordinarily, I’m not a coffee shop type of person, but the experience at the Columbia Brew made it worth it. There’s something for everyone, and when it comes to student-run business, East does it best.