Why Choose an Independent Coffee Shop?

If you’re out for the day and looking for a caffeine fix, it’s so easy to follow the familiar logos to one of the many chain coffee branches. Here are five reasons to look a little further and try an independent coffee shop.

1. Customer service and local connections. At The Coffee Lounge, we endeavour to provide an old fashioned level of customer service, getting to know our regulars and how they like their coffee! In an independent coffee shop, the formulaic approach to coffee making is absent. Staff will get to know your name and be able to make those necessary adjustments so that the coffee you receive is perfect for you. You can expect to see local fundraisers, charities and events featured in your local independent coffee shop. In The Coffee Lounge, we regularly host local artists, makers, performers and raise money for local causes.

   

2. When you support local business your money stays in the community rather than going to multi-national or even international corporations. Small Business UK estimates that for every £10 spent in a local business, £50 goes back into the local community. Shopping with local businesses means that you can invest in local jobs and the health of your local high street.
3. If you care about the quality and provenance of your coffee you can’t beat your local independent coffee shop. From farmer to roaster to manager to barista to your cup, care is taken at every step to ensure that not only is your coffee delicious, but also that it is sustainably and responsibly sourced. In The Coffee Lounge, we use locally roasted beans from Olfactory Coffee Roastery. Our daily beans are the ‘Knockout’ blend, currently sourced from Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica. We display the farms the beans are sourced from, we believe in the visibility of a transparent supply chain.

   

4. The independent coffee shop has highly trained baristas, you won’t see an espresso made at the touch of a button or stencils used to decorate your coffee. Latte art is more than making your coffee Instagram friendly, it’s demonstrating that care and skill have gone into making your drink.

   

5. One of the reasons that the big corporate coffee shops are successful is the familiarity of their outlets and products. In contradiction the great thing about independent coffee shops is that they’re all individual, the menu, the interior design, and the staff are all unique to that coffee shop. In The Coffee Lounge, we not only feature great coffee, but we also work hard in our local community, we retail quality items with an emphasis on sustainable living and cater to a myriad of dietary needs, including dairy free and gluten free. We believe in buying local when we source our stock and hope you do too!