By Annika Spitzer
I have a crippling caffeine dependency. When I wake up in the morning, my first thought is where can I get my daily fix? The answer remains the same: Café La Verna. The café proudly serves Starbucks roasts, and recently dropped its seasonal specials including pumpkin cream cold brews and apple crisp macchiatos. The customer can customize any drink to include different syrup combinations as well as dairy-free milk alternatives. My personal favorite is black iced coffee, especially on warmer days. The cold brew does not leave an acidic aftertaste contrary to the other iced coffees I have tried. When the clouds come out, my order changes to a plain latte, and if I am feeling festive, I will add a couple of pumps of pumpkin. There is something so right about a warm pumpkin latte on a chilly fall afternoon.
The baristas will often offer a punch card to new customers, which provides a free small drink after nine visits. You may be surprised by how easy it is to earn that free drink when living on campus with a weakness for caffeine. The café being conveniently located near the majority of academic facilities does not help either.
Along with providing any sort of drink you may need to get through your day, Café La Verna also hosts students between classes who want to get a little work done. The majority of my schoolwork has been produced inside Café La Verna due to one of the building’s greatest features: the natural light. The strategically placed windows give the café a liveliness that cannot be beaten.
More than the lighting, the people make Café La Verna worthwhile. The drinks are always made with a smile, and the staff is working hard to get through the morning bustle. Rarely will you visit without running into a peer, professor, or staff member, and the conversations always provide the perfect break while doing homework.
I recommend stopping by the next time you walk past, even if you have nothing to order. The atmosphere and overall aesthetic foster unique productivity. With midterms right around the corner, I foresee my Café La Verna visits increasing.
spitzeap22@bonaventure.edu
