Asia Lee

As we reach the end of the semester, my stress levels are blasting through the roof. You would think after 3 years of college I would be used to the cycle by now. I, unfortunately, am not. This blog is a semester long project that has actually been really fun. I think the best thing about this project was being able to explore the beautiful city of San Marcos. I wouldn’t have gone to half of the coffee shops I’ve gone to if it weren’t for this project. At the beginning of this assignment I was worried that I would run out of places to go in San Marcos.

 It wasn’t until now as I’m sitting here writing the final post that I realized that I still have so many more places to go to. When starting this project I couldn’t wait for it to be over, but now I’m sad it’s ending. This experience has taught me how to write better and learn what to focus on when reviewing cafes. Since I’m a junior in college and it’s time for me to get an internship I’ve noticed that a lot of internships, for public relation majors, require writing experience. Which this blog has given me. I know how to work the basics of a blog, something I had no clue how to do at the beginning of this course.

 For this project, I made a separate twitter account to promote my blogs. I didn’t want my personal tweets mixed in with my academic tweets which I believe is the reason why my views are so low. The only person that actually reads my blog is my professors assistant, Tony, who grades our blog post. My most “popular” week would be April 18^th. That week I had four views on three different blog post. My most popular post is my post about Jo’s Café. It got two views! I think that post got the most views because of the quality of writing. Jo’s Café is my favorite coffee shop to go to and I’ve gone there so many times the writing just flowed a lot better. It wasn’t shocking to see that I only had one visitor on my site stats data report. The Twitter account that I made for this project didn’t have any followers nor did I follow anyone so the promotional tweets for my blog weren’t getting seen by anyone. My Twitter stats are exactly like my blog post stats. I only have one visitor for my twitter as well. Shout out to you, Tony!

Buzz Mill is a community-driven brand. That’s sole purpose is to cultivate the community around it. From building gardens, cleaning rivers to create a place where people can interface with their community. Buzz Mill has a called “Camp,” that doesn’t require a core group of people to attend. “Camps” are open to the public. Buzz Mill has societies within itself. Societies are communities of people that come together to learn, do, or make. They have a structure in ways the community can interact with one another that is specific to the society. There are four societies: owl, raccoon, beaver and mallard. Which you can take a quiz to find out which community you belong in. It’s kind of like taking the Pottermore quiz to find out which house you belong in. After taking the quiz I found out that I’m part of the Racoon community. The Racoon’s motto is you’ll never walk alone. Take the quiz to find out which community you belong in!

Buzz Mill is definitely a very unique cafe. It has the elements of a bar, café and restaurant. It has a very rugged hipster environment. It’s also an all vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Which we don’t have much of in San Marcos. It’s perfect for those with a vegan/vegetarian diet. Buzz Mill has a large outdoor patio that I love so much. It’s right next to the main road so it can get kind of noisy but it’s honestly not that bad.

At Buzz Mill, I got a drink called the Honey Badger, which consists of vanilla, honey and cinnamon syrup with oat milk. I was apprehensive about trying oat milk but the barista said it wouldn’t taste like anything crazy. Which she was right about. I got it extra sweet so I didn’t taste any of the oat milk. Buzz Mill is the only restaurant in San Marcos that is open 24 hours. Perfect for students that need to be in a public environment while they study for finals. The only downfall is that parking is very scarce. Along with being open 24 hours Buzz Mill has a small stage for live performances from local bands to showcase their amazing work.

Buzz Mill is a bit on the pricey side but the overall quality of Buzz Mill is worth it. I would definitely go back to Buzz Mill to try one of their vegan meals and study for a bit before watching a band perform. Buzz Mill is a nice place to study and relax. I would go on a night that doesnt have a band playing if I want to sit outside and study. Although, since it is the only coffee shop that I know of thats open 24 hours I might be going there more often.

Mochas & Java is located super close to campus. Great for students that walk to campus from their apartment. They can get a quick drink before going to class. Which is great since there’s not a lot of parking due to other restaurants sharing the same parking lot. They are one of the few coffee shops that stay open late on the weekday.

They had a lot of indoor seating which was really nice. It’s very spacious inside. There’s a variety of seating options so you can get really comfortable on the couches they have. They also offer actual meals there so you can get a meal with your choice of beverage. I would recommend going to Mochas & Java if you have a long break between class and don’t want to eat dining hall food.

The day that I went there was a sorority hosting their mom’s day event so it was pretty noisy but after the event was over it wasn’t too bad. There was a lot of people there so there was a lot going on but I was able to get what I needed to do done. I was actually working on the blog post about Common Grounds there and my video assignment for FDOM assignment done. There isn’t a time limit on parking so I was able to stay there and work comfortably without worrying that I’ll get a ticket or my car might get towed while I was there.

They have a very large variety of beverages there. I tried their Honey Cream Latte that was a seasonal drink so there was a discount off that beverage which is nice for those who are tight on cash. I’ve only been to Mochas & Java’s one other time and didn’t get coffee that time so I was clueless on what to get. The barista was very kind and gave me a list of her favorite drinks and drinks that I might like. I would definitely go back to Mochas & Java to try something new and eat there. I would also go back to hang out with my friends too.

This post is going to be a bit different from my normal posts. This weekend I traveled to Waco, Texas, to help my friend, Alyssa, look for an apartment for the upcoming school year. Alyssa is graduating from Texas State this spring and will be attending Baylor Law School. While we were in Waco we had to try a local popular coffee shop, Common Grounds.

Common Grounds is very different from local coffee shops in San Marcos, Texas. They had a large outdoor patio that had a lot of picnic style tables for customers to sit and study at. They also have an outdoor stage for local artists to perform. It was Friday evening when Alyssa and I arrived at Common Grounds. It was extremely packed with students and tourist. It was surprising to see so many students there studying on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Since it was so beautiful out all the outdoor seating was taken.

Since there was a lot of people at Common Ground it was very noisy. I wouldn’t be able to properly study there. I would definitely go there to hang out with friends and listen to local artists play. It would also be a good spot to work on some minor assignments that didn’t need your full attention to do. Get some vitamin D while enjoying a nice cup of coffee.

Common Grounds offered a large variety of unique drinks. Their most popular coffee beverage was called the “Cowboy.” A beverage that consisted of their “secret sauce”, half an half and freshly brewed coffee. It was a very light chocolatey drink. It was pretty sweet but it wasn’t overwhelming either. Watch the video below to see Alyssa’s review of Common Grounds.

How did you get into blogging? I started this blog solely for my fundamentals of online digital media class. I thought I would dread it because writing is not my forte. Turns out it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I actually really like going out and reviewing different coffee shops. It was difficult at first figuring out what’s important and what’s not. It definitely helped that I looked at other blogs that review food for guidance.

Why did you chose to write about coffee shops? For this assignment, we were told to write about something that we’re passionate about. I personally still don’t know what that is. I thought of every little thing I could write about but nothing of the ideas I thought of would be able to be written about the long term. I was sitting in a coffee shop one day when I realized I could make a blog about reviewing coffee shops. I look at restaurant reviews all the time to figure out if I want to risk trying a new restaurant or not. There are coffee shop review blogs for bigger cities but not one for the small town of San Marcos. I’m hoping that my blog will be useful for current and future bobcats looking for a cool coffee shop to study at.

How do you start a blog? I’m not very tech savvy when it comes to things like blogging or creating a website. So it was a bit difficult for me to figure out how to figure out the layout and theme for my blog but I watched a Youtube video over it and it became very simple. Oh, what would we do without the internet? For all my readers wanting to start their own blog post I’ll connect the link to the Youtube video under my picture. Hopefully it helps!

• The Final Post
• Buzz Mill
• Mochas & Java
• Common Grounds
• FAQ’S

To all my fellow Bobcats and San Martians if you have not been to Jo’s Café then you are truly missing out. Jo’s Café is my number one go to coffee shop. Not only are they open late but they have amazing coffee. What I love most about Jo’s is their large food menu. My go to at Jo’s is a medium sugar daddy with a breakfast taco. The sugar daddy is a salted caramel coffee with vanilla and cream. It’s very sweet and rich but not overwhelming. They have a large variety of drinks along with dairy alternatives and sugar-free options. They definitely make sure you get a bang for your buck. I normally only get one taco because they loaded up so much that one is fulfilling.

The downside of Jo’s is the small parking that they have but they located right next to campus so it’s a quick walk. It’s also right next to the pointe and the vistas so perfect for residents to take a nice little stroll to get their coffee when there’s no parking. What makes Jo’s my favorite coffee shop to go to is the outdoor seating that they offer. They have a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. Which is perfect for me when I want to study outside on beautiful days. Nothing is more peaceful then sitting outside while I enjoy my coffee and breakfast taco. It makes studying and working on my assignments less miserable.

They also have an app for customers to download and place their orders in ahead of time so they don’t have to wait in line to order. Jo’s is definitely a good place to go if youre hungry and need to study. I definitely want to start trying other things on their menu besides their breakfast tacos but it’s just so good I cant help but get the same thing over and over.

• The Final Post
• Buzz Mill
• Mochas & Java
• Common Grounds
• FAQ’S

Unlike most coffee shops in San Marcos Redbud Roasters use a variety of coffee beans from red fruits of coffee trees in south America and Africa. The shade grown beans stand for quality. Different environments lead to unique flavors. Shade grown coffee requires little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Redbud Roasters use special roasters that bring out the unique flavors by caramelizing the natural sugars within the beans during roasting.  

Redbud Roaster is very different from other coffee shops I’ve been to in San Marcos. They have a small selection of specialty coffee beverages. The price ranges from $3.00-$5.00. They do sell cold brew coffee by the gallon as well. Along with half/full pound of fresh roasted bags of coffee beans. It was nice to try something different but I personally would not go back to Redbud Roasters just because parking on the square is very limited and you’re only allowed to park there for 2 hours. So while I was there I was very on edge that I would get a ticket if I get into deep study and forget to check the time.

The staff was very kind and patient with me as I try to decide what I wanted to get. They were also very helpfully on recommending what beverages they think I’d like. I tried the Full Nelson which is a Cuban expresso pulled over steamed cream, topped with a splash of coffee. It sounded intriguing but I personally did not like it at all. It just tasted like plain iced coffee to me. I personally like my coffee flavorful and sweet.

The environment of Redbud Roaster was very loud. The music was played loudly and the employees were very distracting as well. There also wasn’t a lot of seating for students to sit and study. They had bar seating and a few two-seater high top tables. What I did like about Redbud Roasters is that they had a shelf filled with books for customers to sit down and read. Redbud Roaster is a good place to sit and talk with friends but not a place I would recommend bobcats to go study at.

Sprudge

“Sprudge” is a made-up word for the coffee crumbs, blotches, and splats present on a barista’s clothing and shoes. Sprudge was created in 2009 by Zachary Carisen and Jordan Michelman base in Portland, Oregon. On Sprudge you can find highlights of global coffee culture and original journalism. Not only does Sprudge publish original coffee culture highlights but also news, events, wine, trending tech and design. Sprudge has over seventy writers all around the world to cover new cafes opening in cities worldwide. Sprudge has been featured in The New York Times, Gawker, Wired, Buzzfeed, The New Yorker, NY magazines and much more.

Sprudge is a blog I aspire to become. I would love to travel the world and review local native cafes. Hopefully I can grow from reviewing local cafes in San Marcos to reviewing cafes in Austin and San Antonio to other states in the U.S. Their website is very organized and easy to use. Their blog post are really easy to read. They also include a lot of pictures so it’s not boring to read.

Hopefully the more I blog the better I get and I can make my website look better. Add more tabs and expand my blog beyond coffee. Maybe, later on, I might even be making merch for my beloved fans too! For now, I’m going to enjoy exploring the beautiful city of San Marcos and get to know the community a little better before I graduate.

Austin Java originated in Austin, Texas, in 1995. Their mission was simple: value customers above product. They believe in more than selling coffee. At several of their locations you can indulge in their all-day brunch. Unfortunately, for the locals in San Marcos, the Austin Java located on North Edward Gary Street does not provide an all-day brunch. They do however sell delicious pastries throughout the day.

They offer a large variety of beverages. Not only do they sell a variety of different coffee drinks but they also offer tea, soda and smoothies. They provide three different drink sizes that are relatively cheap. The prices range from $2.00 – $5.00. I’ve had their Honeynut Latte, French Toast and Crème Brule Cappuccino. My favorite quality of this coffee shop is the drinks are not super sweet nor rich. It has a thin consistency so I finished my coffee pretty quickly.

I would definitely recommend going to Austin Java for those who need a quiet place to study. Especially for those who are balling on a budget. The store has a 90’s theme, so those looking for an aesthetically pleasing coffee shop to take cute pictures at, Austin Java is your place.

Milk from the moon?

            Summer Moon, located on 1180 Thorpe Ln, is known for their magical moon milk. Made up of 7 secret all natural ingredients, it will you have you coming back for more. What makes their moon milk so special is the diversity. You can get it hot as Summer Moon Latte or cold as the Winter Moon Latte. You can adjust the sweetness to Half Moon or Quarter Moon compared to the original “ Full Moon.” What makes the moon milk stand out even more is the option of their Moon Milk non-dairy alternatives. They have a large variety of drinks, allowing multiple options for each customer. They also have plenty of snacks, so it’s the perfect place to study.

            Summer Moon has an open atmosphere, mainly due to their large windows. I’ve experienced some very beautiful sunsets while I was there studying, which is a really nice time to take a break and enjoy the beauty of mother nature. When the weather is really nice, I love sitting outside to study. Summer Moon has a lot of tables for people to come to sit and study or just hang out. They also have outdoor seating too, which is really nice because not a lot of coffee shops have outdoor seating. The music inside isn’t played too loud but loud enough for me to hear over my headphones. The employees were a bit distracting the day I went in. They were talking to each other and goofing around a bit but they weren’t too bad.

            Overall, I love going to Summer Moon for their delicious coffee and outdoor seating. I normally order either the Summer Moon or Winter Moon Latte and it never disappoints. It is very rich and heavy. I can normally finish a cup of coffee in one sitting but when it comes to Summer Moon’s coffee it takes me a while and sometimes I don’t finish my cup of coffee but it’s great reheated too. It works great as a meal replacement for all my coffee addicts that use coffee as a meal replacement. It keeps me full for a long time. I would definitely recommend Summer Moon to anyone that hasn’t tried their magical moon milk.