Caffeine addiction?

When it comes to coffee, students could definitely settle with one of Bloomington’s many Starbucks coffee shops, but why? Bloomington plays host to a variety of local coffee shops. College is the time to start trying new things, so read on for local options to satiate your java craving.

Soma Coffee House, The Copper Cup, The Pourhouse Café, Stefano’s Ice Cafe and Runcible Spoon Cafe & Restaurant are all local shops with varying perks
and prices.

Frank Sthweikhardt, an employee at The Pourhouse Café, 314 E. Kirkwood Ave., said the cafe is a great spot for freshmen because it’s quiet, has wireless internet and is ran as a not-for-profit organization.

“Our coffee’s really good and all tip proceeds and extra cash goes to an orphanage in Uganda,” he said.

A great perk of the Pourhouse is that it offers free refills on coffee. The cafe also offers Starbucks-like drink mixtures, Sthweikhardt said, in addition to being open until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Also just off Kirkwood Avenue is Soma Coffee House, 322 E. Kirkwood Ave., a small coffee shop located next to the clothing store Cactus Flower. It offers free wireless internet, smoothies, specialty drinks, coffee, vegan foods and baked goods, said Soma’s Assistant Manager Collin Moses.

Moses said freshmen especially should check it out because it’s small and quiet so students won’t get disturbed when studying.

At The Copper Cup, 1400 E. Third St., employee Christine Malzfeldt said she thinks the coffee is about the same price as Starbucks but tastes better. The Copper Cup offers healthy alternatives and low-carb concoctions, as well as traditional coffee drinks such as espresso, frappes and smoothies, she said.

The Copper Cup does not have wireless Internet, but Malzfeldt said it can be picked up pretty easily from IU’s campus. The Copper Cup has three locations around Bloomington on East Third Street, West Bloomfield Road by Buffalo Wild Wings, and also downtown at the intersection of Eighth Street and College Avenue.

Stefano’s Ice Cafe, 101 W. Kirkwood Ave., doubles as a restaurant and coffee house, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items as well as a small selection of gourmet coffee items such as cappuccinos, lattes, and espresso, according to the restaurant’s Web site.

Another favorite local spot is Runcible Spoon, a fully equipped restaurant and coffeehouse complete with award-winning chef and co-owner, Matt O’Neill, an instructor at the Bloomington Cooking School, according to the restaurant’s Web site.

While it offers breakfast, lunch and dinner specialties, the pride and joy of the Runcible Spoon is that it’s home to Bloomington’s only coffee roaster, allowing for fresh-tasting coffee, said co-owner Regen Pon.

“We have a quiet, quirky atmosphere and a lot of students like it for that,” Pon said.

Sthweikhardt said that with such a range of coffee shops, freshmen should get out there and try to experience something different from the norm. He added that there are a lot of people that frequent coffee shops, so for freshmen it’s a great way to meet people.