Best Study Spots in Cleveland Coffee Shops
As exam season creeps closer, finding a study spot is essential. Luckily, Cleveland is home to many coffee shops which are great places to get caffeinated while you prepare yourself for exams.
In order to make the selection process easier for you, I have compiled a list of coffee shops so that you can pick a study spot without the hassle of visiting every coffee shop in the area.
The following coffee shops will be rated by a total of seven factors: hours, menu, technology, dietary accommodations, music, seating and environment. The ratings in these categories are my opinion and are not an exact science. All of the distances from campus are approximated from the Conn Center.
In no particular order, here are the coffee shops of Cleveland:
Lasaters (5/10)
Lasaters has two Cleveland locations, one in the downtown area (170 N Ocoee St, Cleveland, TN 37311) and one on 25th street (2450 Spring Creek Blvd NE, Cleveland, TN). Both locations offer the same menu but different hours, the one downtown closes at 9 p.m. and the other closes at 5 p.m.
Lasaters is one of the more prevalent coffee shops here in Cleveland. The menu offers food and drinks, with the Iced Caramel Macchiato and the blended White Chocolate Mocha being the most popular drinks. Neither drink was mind blowing, but the Caramel Macchiato has a good sweetness. The shop has oat, almond, and soy milk and gluten free options for both pastries and regular food.
The wifi is easy to access and there is an abundance of outlets at both locations. Seating is very open, but the booths are more for two people rather than a group if you want to fit more than a laptop and coffee per person. The music is contemporary Christian radio. The environment also varies depending on the location. The downtown location is mostly populated by students, but the location farther off of campus is more populated by families.
The area makes for a good hangout spot, but not the greatest studying spot. You can find them on social media at @lasaters.downtownclev or at their website.
BonLife (6/10)
BonLife is one of the more well known coffee shops in Cleveland. The coffee shop has both food and coffee items. The Vietnamese cold brew is one of their most popular drinks, and has a rich flavor with a good amount of sweetness. The real showstopper is the Bunlife cinnamon coffee cake. The cake is fluffy and has a good taste without being overly sweet. BonLife offers soy, almond, and oat milk along with gluten and dairy free food options, not including pastries.
Despite having few outlet options, the wifi is easy to access. The seating is not ideal for sitting for long periods of time, but it makes a good spot to sit and chat for a while. The music is sometimes a little too loud. Overall, the environment is quiet with many students studying there already.
BonLife is four minutes from campus (1807 Keith St NW, Cleveland, TN 37311). The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. You can find them on instagram at @bonlifecoffeeroasters or at their website.
Inman Coffee (7.5/10)
Inman Coffee is a coffee shop run by the Cleveland branch of Salvation Army. There is a variety of food and pastries offered, with their most popular drink being the Black Tie Affair. The coffee has a rich taste and its hint of cinnamon was delicious. The Campfire Cold Brew was also good along with the Nutella Turnover. There are no gluten free options but they offer almond, oat, soy, and skim milk.
The wifi is easy to access and there are outlets at every table. The seating is diverse but the tables are small, making it uncomfortable to sit more than one person at a smaller table if you want to study in pairs. The staff is quite friendly and the environment is very nice due to the abundance of natural lighting. The music is soft lo-fi music and provides a nice ambiance to study in. There are also events quite often so if you do want to study there, make sure to check out their events calendar.
Inman Coffee is four minutes from campus (437 Inman St W Cleveland, TN 37311) and is open on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday. You can find them on instagram at @inmancoffee or on their website.
Ocoee Coffee Company (9/10)
Ocoee Coffee Company is one of the most beautiful coffee shops in the Cleveland area. The coffee was one of my favorites. Their signature, the 1996, is delightful iced and the Busy Bee is a honey flavored coffee that tastes delicious when warm. The quiche is especially good as a snack or as a meal. There are no gluten free accommodations for pastries, but they do offer gluten free foods. They have almond, oat, or coconut milk.
Arguably, the best part of Ocoee is the diversity of seating. Every room has a different ambiance. You can choose whether or not to have music depending on which room you sit in. Best of all, the wifi is available inside and outside, along with outlets also being located in both places. With so many choices of where to sit, the environment at Ocoee is what you make it. They also sell their own coffee and various merch items near the register.
Ocoee Coffee Company is four minutes from campus (2300 N Ocoee St, Cleveland, TN 37311) and is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday and open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. You can find them on instagram at @ocoeecoffeeco or on their website.
First Bloom (10/10)
First Bloom is new to the area, offering a variety of pastries and drinks. The dirty chai latte was a personal favorite with the rich flavors, but the wedding tea latte was truly delicious. The almond poppyseed loaf is reason enough to go to the shop and both the brownie and pecan blondie are gluten free. First bloom also offers oat and almond milk as dairy alternatives.
The wifi is also readily accessible and every table has an outlet. Along with having multiple options, the seating is varied. A group of six could easily fit at a big table and a solo studier can get comfortable at one of the sofa seating areas. The lighting and music are not harsh and although it did get distracting occasionally, it was only because I enjoyed the songs that were playing.
First Bloom is four minutes from campus (445 Church St SE Cleveland, TN 37311) and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. You can find them on Instagram at @firstbloomcoffee or on their website.
Simple (9/10)
Simple Cafe also is brand new to Cleveland, having celebrated their grand opening in August. The cafe offers both coffee options and regular food. The horchata latte may have added a whole point to the score with its richness and nod to the original drink. The cafe has almond, soy, and oat milk but no gluten free items unless you order the acai bowl without granola.
The wifi is easy to access and there are outlets all over the shop. The seating is varied but also is very comfy to use, and, despite initial reservations, the wall seating is quite comfortable and ended up becoming a favorite. There are many places to settle yourself and the lighting in the cafe makes it a relaxing place to study. The music is a mix of pop and soft music and provides good background noise.
Simple Cafe is ten minutes from campus (120 Stuart Rd NE Cleveland, TN 37312.) and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. You can find them on instagram at @simplecafe.co or on their linktree
Cleveland Coffee and Market (9/10)
Cleveland Coffee and Market is a favorite among those here at Lee. The coffee here is nothing short of delicious, but the best drink has to be the Maple Hot Chocolate. It was just the right sweetness and pairs well with the cinnamon roll sourced from @biskitnv. The Honey Bear latte was a delicious drink and has a nice sweetness without being overbearing. There are dairy alternatives but no gluten free items.
The wifi is easy to get and there are outlets at most of the seats you go to. As one of the only places open on Sundays, it does get crowded, and also a little noisy, but during the week or quieter moments, it provides various different places to sit that can accommodate more than one person per table. The music is ambient and in the mornings, it is barely noticeable. The staff are very friendly and the area was well lit despite having no natural light. They have cute gifts to buy and the merch for the store is nice.
Cleveland Coffee and Market is four minutes from campus (90 N Ocoee St, Cleveland, TN 37311) and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can find them on instagram at @clevelandcoffeemarket or on their website
Urban Leaf Tea Co. (8/10)
Urban Leaf is one of the hidden gems in the coffee shop tour. The coffee and tea here are my favorites from the whole tour. The Snowy Owl is a minty coffee that has just a good aftertaste and the Elderberry Wine tea was a rich tea with notes of hibiscus. They have oat and almond milk, but they do not have any gluten free options.
The wifi is easy to access and there are multiple outlets. The shop itself is very nice and the seating is comfortable. There are no noticeable sounds of music but the atmosphere is very calming. The staff is very friendly and it is a welcoming space. However, it is suggested to bring a friend because of the area. It makes a nice experience to share and the coffee and tea are well worth the trip.
Urban Leaf Tea Company is five minutes from campus (1122 Wildwood Ave. SE Cleveland, TN 37311) and is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday. You can find them on instagram at @urbanleaftea or at their website.
Out of all of the coffee shops, First Bloom was the most comfortable to study in. There is no clear second place because so many of the shops have their own charms.
Before you go and crowd First Bloom, try doing your own assessment of which shop you like the best. Maybe you do not like Taylor Swift’s music, so you would prefer somewhere like Inman where you can find different music. You may have more of a soft spot for natural lighting or odd seating, so Simple may end up being your favorite place to go. You may even just like the convenience of being able to walk downtown, so Cleveland Coffee and Market or Lasaters are your coffee shops of choice.
Make your own judgments, find your place, and get ready to study!
Photos by Photographer, Riley Evans.
