Editor’s Note: Realizing that the wide variety of coffee vendors may seem daunting to Athens newcomers, The Red & Black has spent the summer reviewing local coffee shops. Here is a recap of some of the summer’s highlights.

Welcome to college where sleep is a rarity and mom never washes the sheets. College is great, but those are the true hard facts. So, how does one wake up for early classes, cram for tests, socialize until 3 a.m. and do it all again the next day? Anyone … Anyone . They drink coffee.

Almost as prevalent as music venues, coffee shops boast a definite presence on the streets of Athens – each with its own personality and following of loyal regulars who help define that persona.

Students and professors headed downtown between classes find themselves outside Espresso Royale Café (ERC) as soon as they step off North Campus. After crossing the threshold of ERC, customers encounter grungy minimal décor and an eclectic crowd. Homemade vegan treats tempt customers from behind glass casing while baristas serve drinks in eco-friendly containers.

“My favorite part about ERC is working behind the counter,” Lea Purvis, an ERC employee, said. “We have a lot of regular customers who have been coming for years and I love it when they come through. I also like that everything is fast-paced.”

Although a fast-paced atmosphere may not sound conducive to studying, the flow of customers and whir of espresso machines actually provide the ideal background hum, whether the day’s read is a philosophy textbook or an enthralling novel.

Trappeze Pub on Washington Street combines the studious atmosphere of a coffee shop with the conversational atmosphere of a high-end pub. Originally a brewery, Trappeze was known for well-crafted beer and hard-to-find selections. Soon after opening however, owner Eric Johnson purchased Hot Corner Coffee next door and merged the two establishments.

“At that point we changed the coffee over from a low quality purveyed coffee to one of Athens’ local roasteries (1000 Faces), and they have since built us some very nice blends, one of which is the Trappeze signature roast,” Johnson said.

Two Story Coffeehouse, located in Five Points, also takes pride in its hands-on approach to coffee. “We hand brew all of our drinks as customers order them,” said Dave Delchamps, a student and barista. “There’s no loud electrical equipment which brings everything down to a more comfortable speed.”

Just as the name suggests, Two Story is in fact a house turned coffee shop. The baristas greet customers as though they were welcoming them into their own home, and it’s not unusual to spot a customer so at ease that they kick off their shoes and walk around the shop barefoot.

Although background noise varies and décor changes, all of these vendors serve customers for the same reason. Delchamps summed up what each barista said on some level. “I’m passionate about serving people coffee, hopefully in a way they’ve never experienced it before.”