Local Coffee Shops: Cute But Overpriced?
Where are SMC students getting their caffeine fix?
It’s getting to be that time of year: finals week of spring semester. Students can be seen studying in various places around campus, including the library, the cafeteria, and in outdoor seating areas.
There are a few coffee shops within walking distance of Santa Monica College (SMC) that offer caffeinated beverages as well as pastries, sandwiches, and other snacks to fuel a hard-working brain. Although they are close to campus, they aren’t always full of students.
Bolivar Cafe is located on Ocean Park Blvd. and 18th St. In addition to the usual coffee drinks, they have a plethora of teas to choose from, along with fresh squeezed juices, sandwiches, pastries, and arepas, a Nicaraguan sandwich with various fillings. It’s mostly indoor seating, and they are open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
First year student Joshua Jones works at Bolivar Cafe, and said that although many people come here to work, and he knows some of them from SMC, the shop is a little too expensive for most students to frequent.
“I think this is out of the budget a lot of the time,” he said. “So you don’t see as many students as you might think.”
Love Coffee Bar is also on Ocean Park Boulevard, across the street from Bolivar Cafe. They offer an intriguing menu of artisanal signature drinks, with the option to add a shot of CBD to any drink. In addition to the beverages, they also have an assortment of pastries and sandwiches. There is indoor and outdoor patio seating, and they are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SMC student Marko Asaulyuk works at Love Coffee Bar. He’s a business administration major, and will transfer to San Francisco State University in the Fall.
“We have regulars here every morning, they come before classes, I know their names, I know what they order,” he said. “There’s some students, some don’t have money, so they just get water. And some have money from their parents, so they get something expensive.”
Groundwork Coffee is located inside of Whole Foods at Cloverfield and Pico, about a ten minute walk from the main campus. They serve up caffeinated beverages and offer outdoor seating with a few seats inside. It's open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week.
The staff here mentioned that they don’t see many students here, citing the lack of seating and the cold weather. “Maybe they’ll come back when the weather is warmer.”
Lo/Cal Coffee & Market, located west of Pico and Cloverfield, serves pastries, salads and sandwiches, with indoor and outdoor seating. It's open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The staff agreed that there are definitely more students coming in this year as compared to last year, now that classes are back in person.
