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| - XB does a lot of things that other coffee houses didn't think to do or won't do. That's why it brings such a wide, yet consistent, customer base from college kids to the elderly.
For one, free WiFi is awesome, even if theirs is slower than many dial-ups. Getting a good signal inside the vault is tough too.
Two, the whole live music thing really works there. Mondays is ragtime night, Thursdays is usually acoustic and Fridays is a hodgepodge.
Years ago they had small bands that set up in front of the piano, but all music booked there is strategically done so that it is not intrusive to people trying to work.
Ownership is aware that lots of college kids use that place as their library and many business people also get on their laptops at XB so the next local coming of Judas Priest isn't going to be setting up shop there anytime soon.
The piano is also free game to any patron wanting to show off his/her stuff. I've yet to hear anyone embarrass there; The audience is too big and too busy to take that risk.
Three, XB offers a wide assortment of teas. I am not a coffee drinker but I know a good tea when I taste one. Of XB's 500 or so tea flavors, I've found two that I like and about 5 that taste like Valvoline that half a pint of honey can't make more flavorful.
Just the fact that they offer honey in a squeeze bottle over individual packets is a huge plus. Unsweetened iced teas (I've had 2/3) are also pretty good.
I'm at XB quite often during closing time (it used to be open all night) and sometimes the girl will start cleaning the tables and say to me directly, "It's 11 o'clock, we're closed." It's as if she's telling me to go but the 13 other people chatting or working on laptops get to stay until 11:30.
Now what they do is turn the Internet server off at 10:35 to get people to leave quicker. I think that's a little Bush League.
Still, it's a good environment with a vibe I think other coffee houses yearn for. I mean if you're going to spend nearly $5 on a latte shouldn't there be some kind of intangible involved that justifies it?
XB makes it somewhat justifiable.
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