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Espresso Royale coffee beans on display at Espresso Royale, Saturday night Oct 29 2005. (Austin Happel, Buzz photographer)
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Cafe Kopi 109 N. Walnut St., C. 359-4266
Starbucks 501 E. Green St., C. 344-8613 (and various other locations)
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Espresso Royale »Address: 602 Daniel St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 328-1112
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“In the room customers come and go talking of espresso.”
Contrary to the moroseness of a T.S. Eliot poem, Espresso Royale Cafe has delighted coffee drinkers all around campus, and consequently is this year’s Best of CU recipient for Best Cup of Coffee.
Coming to the University of Illinois campus in 1989, Espresso Royale has flourished and expanded to seven store locations in CU, with five on campus, including inside the Undergraduate Library and the Illini Union.
The secret to Espresso’s trademark cup of joe lies in the fact that they roast their coffee beans in small batches to guarantee quality, revealed Lauren Gramly, store manager at Espresso’s Sixth and Daniel location.
“We go out of our way to ensure the quality and freshness of our product,” Gramly said, “We believe that we serve a good drink, fast and in a friendly environment.”
The atmosphere Gramly talks about is another reason for Espresso Royale’s success.
“Each Espresso has its own environment and vibe,” Gramly said, “We’re not so cookie cutter as other coffee shops. I think that defines the difference between us and Starbucks: we actually try to be a local coffee shop.”
This quality product and unique ambience is not lost on the students either. Cyrus Rashtchian, a freshman in College of Engineering and self-described caffeine addict, admits to having trouble getting through a day without a daily dose of coffee.
“Espresso is definitely my favorite place to get coffee from,” Rashtchian said, “It’s really convenient to just roll out of bed, walk to class and pick up coffee on the way.”
Along with serving coffee, Espresso also tries to serve the community. Each location carries national and community publications to keep people informed and spread awareness about community events. Espresso also goes out of its way to purchase community goods, added Gramly.
“We feel that by buying and using local products we help the economy that we’re a part of,” Gramly said, “We really do all we can to become a local coffee shop.”
But helping the local economy is not the extent of Espresso’s philanthropic work. Not only did the company recently make all of their cups eco-friendly, meaning they are now made from recycled goods, but also, Espresso offers a fair-trade blend of coffee every day.
“Fair-trade coffee ensures that each farmer who grows and sells the beans gets enough money to make a living,” Gramly said, “We have to pay a little more for it, but we think it’s worth the cost.”
So, whether it’s the progressive altruistic work being done or the giving back to the community, there are many reasons to buy your next cup of coffee from Espresso Royale, but perhaps the best reason just lies in the taste.
Jeff Brandt (Jeff Brandt) said on Mar. 4, 2008 at 11:25 am:
Which Espresso are we saying is the best? I'd say if you combine the Daniel Street, Goodwin, Illini Union, and Undergrad locations, they are the best place to get coffee. But I'd say both Caffe Paradiso and Bar Giuliani defeats any of them individually.