The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

Kaldi’s Pro/Con

Kaldi’s Coffee has been at the frontier of coffee-making since the seventeenth century. That is, the myth of Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder who first discovered coffee, appeared in writing in 1671; the rest is history.
Some time has passed since the days of herding goats and frolicking among coffee trees, but Kaldi’s still displays the same fervor for the art of coffee making. Each hand-crafted latte and cappuccino displays an artistic flourish, ranging from a simple heart to the more complicated and crowd-pleasing turtle, swirled into the foam by practiced hands. And oh, the foam. Kaldi’s has perfected the pinnacle topping to lattes: light and airy, yet abundant enough to build the necessary anticipation for the drink waiting below.
Don’t like foam? The baristas are more than willing to cater to your every whim. They’ll accept your order with a simple, “Sure, totally cool.” Ask for a no-foam triple tall vanilla latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon and you will not only receive exactly that, but it will also be handed to you with a smile.
The workers at Kaldi’s are some of the friendlist, quirkiest people around. Go ahead, befriend that guy with the crow-bar mustache wearing a Star Wars Tee—he might just give you a free latte and some cool song suggestions the next time you come in.
The family-feel is something you will only find at a local business like Kaldi’s. Next time you are at Starbucks, try cracking a joke with a worker—they will probably be “too busy” to laugh.
Speaking of that corporate monster we know as Starbucks, let’s compare the menu to that of Kaldi’s. Every Kaldi’s Coffeehouse boasts a full kitchen with daily soup, salad, and sandwich specials. Starbucks is sans-kitchen. Kaldi’s has some of the best nachos around. Starbuck’s has bananas. The pastries at Kaldi’s are prepared daily in house. The Starbucks pastries, better characterized as high-fat-sometimes-stale loaves, are manufactured in large factories and shipped in plastic.
When it comes to food options, there is no comparison. Kaldi’s food is healthy and delicious; such options as the quinioi salad and hummus plate are satisfying snacks that won’t break the calorie bank. For those of you who are looking for a sizeable meal, Kaldi’s caters to you too. The nachos, piled high with sour cream, beans, and cheese, and the grilled cheese with three types of cheese and tomato, are just two of the many heartier options.
But the real star of Kaldi’s is the coffee. Kaldi’s offers monthly specials of coffee from all around the world from fair-trade farmers. The coffee is always brewed fresh on the hour, and each cup is as strong and fully-flavored as the last. Consistency is key. My brother lives in Wahsington D.C. and cannot find better coffee than Kaldi’s, so he gets packages of the coffee beans shipped to his house every month—a true test of the excellence in coffee that Kaldi’s has achieved.
If you’re not a coffee person, Kaldi’s also has delicious smoothies made with real fruit. And if you want the caffeine, but prefer the coffee hidden in the form of a smoothie-like sweet drink, Kaldi’s also offers “Frozen Toddys.” Frozen Toddys are essentially milk shakes made with coffee. And yes, they are as good as they sound.
Kaldi’s is the obvious choice for students. The music selection, warm ambiance, and quiet corners usher in studiers from all over the area. The original Kaldi’s located on Demun even has “Study Nights,” when students can come in and enjoy 10% off any beverage and a buy-one-get-one-free coffee. This is also an advantage of being a smaller business: the ability to have unique benefits for the community.
Along with the Study Nights, Kaldi’s also offers punch cards for frequent customers. Once the card is filled, you get a free beverage of any size.
You can support a local business, eat delicious food, study for your next test, and drink the best coffee just by going to Kaldi’s. Kaldi’s Coffeehouse is the place to be; no need for that Starbucks guy.

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The student news site of Clayton High School.
Kaldi’s Pro/Con