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| - I first heard about this place via a tweet from @CenPhoTV, and since Urban Beans is located in my neighborhood, I decided to check them out.
I like the interior. It is minimalist, large, and well lit. I spoke with whom I believe to be the owner (I didn't think to ask, but she was very friendly) while my iced Americano was made. She informed me they will be open until 10pm (except Sunday's) and have plans to host live music events and small workshops on sustainability. Having another neighborhood coffee joint with late hours is always a plus, and given the size of the interior I could easily see live music nights working there. The place definitely has potential.
Now the reason for the three star review was the coffee. No new business, regardless of whether the owners have previous management experience, will ever rate higher than a three-star. As all things in life, lessons are learned through experience. Now the coffee wasn't bad, but it wasn't any better than say a Starbucks. This isn't a negative, only that with more experience I think the barista will pull a better shot and adjust their roast. Prices looked to be pretty reasonable. Food items are limited to pastries and muffins at the time, but I was told they have plans to bring in more confections and possibly even sandwiches.
The outside patio was shaded and nice, but depending on the time of day, the road traffic on 7th Street might be a little too loud to enjoy a conversation. There appeared to be plenty of parking, both in the lot and on the side street.
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