Local coffee shop brings quirkiness to customers

Stepping into the colorful basement of Kirkwood Manor is like walking into a different world.

Even on a rainy Sunday morning, Soma Coffee House is warm, inviting and brimming with customers. The shop is filled with worn-in, bright orange velvet armchairs and non-uniform, second-hand coffee mugs. Paper lanterns and multi-colored Christmas lights frame the ceilings, and vintage board games or newspapers line the refurbished wood tables of the seating area across from the bar.

Seated at a yellow, linoleum vintage kitchen table is Maggie Arthur, a Soma barista. Casually dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, drinking coffee, she talks about what makes Soma such a distinct place to work.

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IDS: What do you think makes Soma such a great spot for locals and students in Bloomington?

Arthur: Well, we brew really high quality coffees here, and all the employees are trained on the ins and outs of all our coffee. And we take pride in our coffee being Fair Trade and organic.

IDS: Do you like working here?
Arthur: I love it actually, I worked at Starbucks in high school, and I’ve always had barista jobs. But this one takes the cake.

IDS What types of things does Soma offer for customers? I know you have vegetarian and vegan-friendly items, but what else do you have here like that?

Arthur: Well, we have soy creamer for coffee. It’s sort of a rare, frilly thing. And we have gluten-free pastries. Our chai [tea] is vegan. There are a lot of things that aren’t vegetarian or vegan, but we try to get things that are. We kind of go out of our way to provide them.

IDS: And what about the decor and the vintage furniture here? Where did you guys find all of this stuff?

Arthur: Most of it is donated by customers, actually. I mean, the big things come mainly from employees, though. We have gotten some gems, definitely. A lot of the people that work here are total thrifting monsters. I found a picture of The Coreys, those ’80s movie stars, and absolutely loved it, so I brought it in.

IDS: I’ve heard the bathroom is really interesting. What is in there as far as decor? Does it change from time to time?

Arthur: We have a huge mosaic on the wall, so we really can’t change that, and the rest has been the same for a long time. There’s a chalkboard on one wall, so a lot of people provide their own decorations. Also, if you look closely at the jukebox in there, you’ll see that the names of certain songs have been changed to names of people that work here.

(A quick look at the jukebox in the bathroom reveals the secretly altered song names, such as “Mmm Bob” by Hanson and “Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Jo” by Wham!)

IDS: How would you describe the atmosphere of Soma?

Arthur: In a word, quirky. Just because of the decor, the colors, and everyone has a pretty eclectic taste that works here. We play our own music, too. It’s funny because students will bring their parents in to see the place because they say the people here are so different and cool. But the regulars are mostly ordinary folks.

IDS: I see you have business cards and flyers laid out on your bar area. Are those for local bands, events, artists?

Arthur: Well, people kind of just come in and drop stuff off. We leave all of it out until the event is over, or if it’s just been sitting there for an eternity.

IDS: And just a closing question, what is your favorite coffee or tea?

Arthur: I’d have to say “The Nug” — like Ted Nugent. It’s two shots of espresso over ice. It’s one of those inside jokes taken way too far, and now it’s a drink.

Soma, which is located at 322 E. Kirkwood Ave., is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.