The Coffee Crawl is back! Again. How many times has this series been put on hiatus? Never mind that. What’s important is that this Coffee Crawl is formatted a little differently than those of Coffee Crawls’ past–it’s Guess the Crawl!
You may not have known this, but I’m often not alone when I visit these coffee shops. One of my very best friends, Saron, is always on board when it comes to anything coffee-related, which means she’s the best person to bring on a coffee crawl adventure!
Saron and I have been reviewing coffee shops together for about two years now. That’s a lot of coffee shops. I thought for today’s Coffee Crawl post, we could test Saron’s memory and see how well she actually remembers these places.
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Sam: All right Saron, before we start, I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to be grilled for the sake of my blog.
Saron: [Laughs] It’s no problem at all.
Sam: Okay, so here’s how this is going to work. I’m going to read out a couple sentences from a selection of Coffee Crawl posts that I’ve published on the blog over the last couple of years.
Saron: Okay.
Sam: And you have to tell me what coffee shop you think the blog post is about. You ready?
Saron: Yes. But I’m also very scared.
Sam: [Laughs] Don’t worry, I’ll start you off with an easy one.
It’s everyone’s favorite mainstream coffee shop! Even though some coffee lovers may snub this commercial store, they have a vast fanbase. … In America alone there are over 13,000 Starbucks locations, and I’m sure there are just as many across the globe.
POST: Coffee Crawl: Starbucks
Saron: [Unsure] Starbucks?
Sam: Yes!
Saron: Okay, I didn’t know you were going to start off that easy…
Sam: You guessed the coffee shop, but do remember what I rated it?
Saron: Wasn’t it like an 8/10?
Sam: [With genuine shock] What? How did you know that? Was that a guess?
Saron: [Nonchalant] Yeah. Wait, was I right?
Sam: Yes! This is going to go better than expected.
Saron: Doubt it.
Sam: Here’s the second one…
Patio seating isn’t always something we’re looking for in a coffee shop. But it’s nice to have the option. … The patio stretches across the length of the entire store, providing more than enough outdoor seating for multiple parties at once.
POST: Coffee Crawl: Coffee House on Cherry Street
Saron: What place has a patio? [After a second of thought…] Is it CHOCS?
Sam: Yes! You’re on fire!
Saron: Yeah I am! Two out of two! It’s going to be downhill from here.
Sam: Do you remember what I rated this one?
Saron: 7/10?
Sam: Nope.
Saron: Is it higher or lower?
Sam: I can’t tell you that! It’s cheating.
Saron: Fine, 6/10?
Sam: No.
Saron: 9/10?
Sam: No.
Saron: [Incredulously] 10/10?
Sam: Saron…
Saron: 8/10?
Sam: Yes, 8/10.
Saron: But it’s always busy though…
Sam: Okay, but you have to think about the quality of the place–friendly staff, dietary options, community art–it’s got a lot to offer.
Saron: [Unbelieving] Yeah, I guess.
Sam: Let’s move on to our third coffee shop.
Just in case you didn’t catch the difference in title- welcome to the very first “DESTINATION Coffee Crawl!” This Norman, Oklahoma coffee shop is definitely one of the most well-known in the area.
POST: [DESTINATION] Coffee Crawl: Gray Owl Coffee
This one’s from all the way back in 2017.
Saron: Is it Gray Owl?
Sam: [Pause] Okay, what? How’d you know?
Saron: [Matter-of-fact] Well, Gray Owl was one of the first coffee shops I went to whenever I moved to Norman. It’s the one that everyone recommended me to. I started going pretty frequently, so I know it well.
Sam: [Pause] I think I may have made this too easy for you. Can you guess the rating?
Saron: 9/10?
Sam: Nope. And before you start guessing, I’m just going to tell you I gave it a 6/10?
Saron: Why so low?
Sam: It’s usually pretty packed and that’s kind of a turn-off for me.
Saron: [Nods understandingly]
Sam: Okay, this next one’s a little harder.
If you’re driving on the main street, you might easily miss it. The building blends right in with all the others nestled along the street.
POST: Coffee Crawl: 918 Coffee
Saron: [Confidently] Michelangelo’s!
Sam: Nope.
Saron: [Shocked into silence]
Sam: Want to guess again?
Saron: Okay, wait. Where is Main Street? Like what city?
Sam: Well first of all, I can’t tell you that. Second, it’s not “Main Street” like the name of the street. When I say “main street” I mean like a populated street, or not a neighborhood street.
Saron: So, the street isn’t called “Main Street?”
Sam: [Laughs] No.
Saron: Oh, okay. Re-read the question.
Sam: [Re-reads the question]
Saron: [Still doesn’t know]
Sam: Do you want me to read more of the post?
Saron: Yeah, I think I need more.
Sam:
There’s a lot of natural lighting here because the entire right wall is made up of garage-door windows. Sunlight always makes a room look larger and warmer, and I love the effect it has here.
Saron: Oh! Is it 918 Coffee?
Sam: Yes, it is!
Saron: I should’ve known that. It is your favorite coffee shop–
Sam: I mean, it’s not my favorite coffee shop…
Saron: Okay, one of your favorite coffee shops then.
Sam: Okay, as one of my favorite coffee shops, what did I rate it?
Saron: 9/10.
Sam: Yes!
Saron: [Does some kind of dance, possibly from Tik Tok]
Sam: Are you ready for our last Guess the Crawl? I figured I’d end it on a good one, so I’m sure you’ll get this.
[It] doesn’t look all that large from the outside. … But once you walk inside, [this coffee shop] makes really good use of the space that they have. There are plenty of tables and chairs to sit and relax or do work at. There’s even a back room you would totally miss if you didn’t take the chance to walk around.
POST: Coffee Crawl: Shades of Brown
Saron: Shades.
Sam: Yes! Our mutual favorite.
Saron: I love Shades so much.
Sam: It’s a good one.
Saron: I’m going to assume you gave Shades a 10/10.
Sam: Obvi.
Saron: [Relieved] Good. That means we can stay friends.
Sam: [Laughs] Okay, well that’s the end of Guess the Crawl! Saron, you didn’t do too badly–honestly, better than I thought.
Saron: Me too.
Sam: Thanks for agreeing to do this with me. And for letting me drag you along to various coffee shops.
Saron: Honestly, it makes my day doing Coffee Crawls with you, so…
Sam: Awww, that’s so sweet. Well, thanks again! That’s a wrap!
* * *
What did you guys think about tonight’s post format? And how many Coffee Crawls were you able to guess?
For those of you who were expecting a new coffee shop review, I’m so sorry to disappoint. But stick around for next month’s Coffee Crawl because it’s going to be a good one! Hint: It’s in a destination I’ve never been to before.
As always, thanks for reading. And if you enjoy my creative content, make sure to order my debut book “SPACES–a collection of poetry,” coming out on Amazon Kindle eBook and paperback next Sunday, 19 January!
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