An honest review of the newly established coffee shop just across the street
Coffee: the drink that brings people together during all hours. Some depend on it to get through their day. Others pride themselves with a refined pallet, and stray from corporate coffee chains.
Flourishing small businesses have been utilizing the desires of younger generations to flood anywhere with Wifi and an artsy brick wall.
“Younger people are driving this growth and in coffee consumption outside of the home,” said Simran Sethi of Forbes.
Azusa is not exempt from the rising population of coffee drinkers.
aDosage, a new coffee shop located across from Chick-Fil-A near East Campus, has already caused a buzz in the Azusa community. It does not have a brick wall, so only time will tell if the spot will become a go-to for the younger crowd. However, they understand the importance of social media as a new business. Some might consider them Instagram famous as they have already gained almost 1,000 loyal followers. Their account displays hand-crafted drinks, pastries, special deals and promotions.
From the outside, the spot doesn’t stand out amongst the other shops. But for a car-less student who is looking to fuel their caffeine addiction, this new study spot that is a walkable distance from East Campus holds promise.
Photo by Kelsey Arvidson.
The space inside is small, but cozy. The few studyholics who have already discovered this niche can be spotted on their laptops, working hard with a latte in hand. The menu is diverse, and offers a variety of drinks with both tea and coffee. There is also an assortment of pastries that sits next to the register, awaiting potential pairing with a drink.
The ‘matcha cloud’ is one of the house specials. The drink that is pictured on the walls looks like a perfect blend of matcha and milk. The drink that they serve is a slight representation of the poster, containing a few lonely ice cubes.
However, the ratio of ingredients is unique: milk takes over the entire glass, creating a billowing effect with the matcha. Once they blend together, the drink is light— almost too light. The cloud affect provides for a good aethstetic, but be sure to ask for extra matcha when you get yours.
The ‘matcha cloud’ at aDosage. Photo by Kelsey Arvidson.
I also tried an iced vanilla latte with oat milk, which comes in a plastic, no-straw cup. This is a step further than the on-campus Starbucks, which has sip-lids available only on a good day. However, the drink was underwhelming and could use a couple more shots of espresso. Students in search of large caffeine doses would be unsatisfied with the ‘sugar milk with a splash of coffee’ vibe.
“What alternative milks do you have?” is a question coffeeshops across the nation are being asked on a daily basis. The rise of lactose intolerance has influenced the way people take their coffee. Adosage offers multiple milk alternatives including oat, soy and almond (unsweetened and sweetened).
The oat milk in particular would be considered by many to be high-end. Califia, the brand that they use, has recently taken over trendy shops across Los Angeles. In theory, this is a plus for their business, but only once their milk to coffee ratio is figured out. Oat milk can not cover up a lack of coffee.
The prices are average for a coffee shop. A drink will cost anywhere from $3-6, while food items range from $2-6. There is an additional charge for any syrups, flavoring, or milk substitutes. This is a normal cost, but the value of the products are questionable.
The seating is limited in the tiny space. There is one table in the front of the shop, and a few more in the back. The back section of the shop is a reading nook, with coffee books lining the shelves for curious readers. If a large group of students needed to study, it would be a tight squeeze.
Homework is often the goal for coffee shop visitors. There is free Wi-Fi available throughout aDosage, but the shop itself is so close to East Campus that the APU Wi-Fi connects successfully. This shows how truly accessible this new coffee spot is for students.
The atmosphere for homework is pretty relaxing with soft music playing in the background. The barista’s are almost too friendly, to the point where they may distract you from doing homework, but it might be worth it for the good conversation.
Karis Augustyn, a junior kinesiology major, experienced this friendly atmosphere for herself when she was served a coffee made from beans that the barista had brought himself.
This is unorthodox for most coffee shops, which normally use their own beans to roast. But for aDosage, this heartwarming atmosphere is what differentiates it from other mainstream coffee joints in the area.
Let’s just hope that aDosage starts making some of their drinks stronger, so that it can unleash its coffee-making potential and provide for a popular spot for APU students to go to other than Mantra.