Abbeys are pleasant places and The Abbey is no exception. I’ve lived in Santa Cruz for a long time and never been here. I heard about it all the time and thought, “a coffee shop attached to a church, say what??” More recently, Sam suggested I pay them a visit. Then I heard one of their baristas competed in the regionals. So I finally went in to check it out.

Right away, I noticed the pleasant decor, very cozy. In fact, that seemed to be the aim of the shop, to make people feel comfortable and welcome. Great job guys, high points for atmosphere. I know many people utilize this space for studying, but my aim was purely to critique the shop. In the past, when I went into a new store, I would outright tell people  “I am here to review you guys” with the disclaimer that I generally visit shops I hear good things about. Then one day, an unnamed cafe was so rude about my motive that now I try to be discrete in my critiques. One of the baristas noticed my camera and started chatting with me. I was caught red handed. But the girls were so sweet and genuinely interested in my hobby that I spilled the beans about my site.

I had my Cap. Funny story, the girl pouring it heard I was there to do a review as she was finishing the pour, got jumpy, and made the art a little lop sided. The drink itself was solid: good flavor, good milk ratio, slightly hot for me but drinkable, and nice looking. I wouldn’t go to any great lengths suggesting this place based on the cap. It didn’t exactly excel in any special way, but it was definitely a well rounded drink.

The three of us got chatty despite the fact they were closing. We became engaged in a really good conversation about their personal goals with the store; they were totally opposite of most third wave stores. They had no attitude about their products and spoke humbly about their business. For example, they used The Verve’s beans, but did not try to play up the “hotness factor” with that association. For them, coffee wasn’t about showcasing the shop or their skills perse. Rather, they were customer oriented people who were more concerned with creating a good environment than anything else. Their shop certainly reflected that idea. I was moved, most young people in the industry seem to be leaning towards the “its an honor to be in our shop” trend. These girls were genuine, sincere, and very hospitable to everyone who walked in the door, not just me. Plus, they made a solid drink, what more could you ask for?

This will definitely become a spot for me. I think many people can agree that the personable attitude and good quality products from the Abbey are worth praising.

I liked:

• The personable baristas and the positive atmosphere
• The sincerity of the baristas
• The price of my Cap