We Need a Real Coffeehouse!
Chris Hollomon | Tech Section Manager
Whatever happened to that laid-back, semi-quiet place with the aroma of coffee beans and happy people looking past their books to a new friend who just sat down on the couch next to them? Well, it turned into a smoke-filled, loud armpit of a bar. If I had a window, I could probably see a few frat heads walking back from it right now.
Maybe you prefer Mill Mountain's force-fed flavors of the day that are at the Student Union, which is no more quiet or friendly than a Mack truck. If I asked for a cafe mocha triple latte', I doubt the work-study student would have a clue what I'm talking about. The one good coffee house this town had --two years ago-- was Java River, now known as the German Kitchen. A darn good restaurant, but not known for their coffee.
Why did Java River go away, if that is the kind of coffee house we need? As a bum of this campus myself, I admit that walking there was a pain. Believe me, you needed to relax once you got there. All the specialty coffees that they had at Java River where stolen at that time by Mocha Joe's. Since Java River disappeared and the bar opened up, the quality of the coffee has really gone from Mocha Joes.
Radford University undercut all the other coffee houses with their Terrace Shops, and that became the defining moment as to why Java River left and no other coffee shops have shown up, like Mill Mountain coffee house from Virginia Tech. We sell the coffee in our school, and they don't have to pay for staff!
I challenge the students and anybody in this town to open up a coffee house/tea house that is comfortable, classy, and semi-quiet. Bring back that tradition of somewhere to go to meet great people. If you need my comfy couch to help get started, you can have it.
Responses: Refresh frame to view latest entries.
Name:Nicole sitler Year: jr. Major: mstd Comments:
I miss Java river!!!!
Name:Allison Year: sophmore Major: media studies Comments:
I agree completely. Before I came here my friends and i always spent our time at some good coffee places around our houses. When I came here I looked forward to doing that with my new friends, but no. This town does not have a decent coffee shop for a student to go to relax, meet people, do a little school work, and well just plain drink some damn good coffee. So my advice is that someone should definelty try to get a good coffee shop in this town. It would be a life saver to many students.
Name:S. Cloud Year: Senior Major: Social Science Comments:
When I first came to RU, way back when, I went over to Mocha Joes which at the time was the quintessential small college coffee house. I'm actually not much one for coffee, so I stopped going there and frequented Java River for a while. Slowly and from a far, I noticed the "shift" as I call in it in Mocha Joes. The owners I believe had the original intention of operating a nice quiet coffee house but realized that money was to be made in the operation of a bar. So that is what it evolved into. Since then, I've started to think that Radford students (on a whole and very stereotypically) don't really care about having conversations with friends over coffee. They would rather drink themselves silly. Similarly most of them would rather listen to K92 than WVTF. They would rather go to marketing class than amnesty international meetings, if do anything at all other than play dreamcast. It seems to just be a part of the dominant campus culture here. By no means does this apply to everyone. RU is the college to a hell of a lot of true individuals but you just never seem to notice them for all the fratheads. (Excellent term, Chris.) If you are truly looking for the coffeehouse mentality and atmosphere, my advice is to go to Blacksburg or better yet Charlottesville.
Comments:
What we really need is Starbucks!! I feel so deprived without my daily caramel machiaoto and mocha frappacino.
Name: Author Year: senior Major: spch comm Comments:
Thank you for the current feedback and keep it coming, I would like our readers to know that due to this article I will be discussing a coffee house idea with Dr. Hill in the near future, maybe somthing will come of it. maybe not, The point is your voice as students is being heard and I applaud the administration for listening.
Comments:
HELL YEAH!!! --geek
Name:Brian :) Comments:
I'm a geek, and I'm damned proud of it. We'll see you "fratheads" when you come into our penthouse suite offices to mop our floors. :)
Comments:
Just as you call people who study on the weekends "geeks" we can call you "fratheads." No real harm done, right?
Name:dhill Year: N/A Major: N/A Comments:
I agree, we do need a coffee house. Java River did not go out of business because of the Mill Mountain Coffee being sold on campus. Look at your own story for the reasons. Location and quality of service and product hsd something to do with the closing. If you did not like to walk down town to get the service, then other RU students did not want to go.
There will be a coffee cart in the RU Library shortly. Maybe this will help. I would like to hear from other student and get their reactions. We do listen to the WHIM comments and value feedback.
Name: Dave Year: SR Major: IS Comments:
Hey man, I just brew my own coffe at home. It's cheaper and I can brew it exactly the way I like it.
Comments:
frat heads???
Name: Brian :) Comments:
I'm hoping that Joe's Diner will have what I'm looking for...a nice place that isn't drafty and cold that I can sit and eat at 4:30am if I so choose.
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