By Blair Stewig, Staff Writer

The new Code Blu Coffee came to the Seward in the beginning of December and features a number of unique qualities that other coffeehouses do not exhibit. Located next to Zipps Liquors on the corner of Franklin and S. 27th Ave, their beans are roasted in-house as needed to ensure freshness. Owners John and Dan Scriver are very excited to be back in the Seward neighborhood serving strong coffee accompanied by a smile. It is home of the “Love it” guarantee and the “if you can think it, we can make it” promise.

Code Blu is a student-friendly coffeehouse with free Wi-Fi and lots of outlets. Additionally, the very open seating space features windows that cover the entirety of the walls and ceilings, so this ensures your exposure to natural light while you work productively in these winter months. The many outlets combined with strong espresso will power you through all your homework.  

Code Blu’s hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. They are also one of the few coffeehouses open 365 days a year and will be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 25 and 8 a.m. 5 p.m. on Jan. 1. Another unique factor is that they use ceramic mugs that will fit a variety of sizes and travel cups that fit three to 32 ounces. This is rare in coffeehouses; usually you are forced to use a travel mug if your coffee size is larger than the ceramic mug, but this dilemma does not occur at Code Blu.

Additionally, this variety of sizes ensures that you will be able to customize and have the proper ratios of ingredients in your favorite coffee drink. They get their pastries from a bakery in Stillwater called “Grandma’s” and have all the snacks you will need to power your study session. They are eco-friendly by composting their coffee grounds and will donate them to local gardeners for their plants. In addition to supporting local gardeners, they have also supported local communities like Augsburg University’s TriBeta organization by donating coffee cards and by donating to Second Chance animal rescue.

They are truly a small business that supports the community. My favorite part of the coffeehouse is the friendly ambiance and the willingness of the baristas to make conversation with customers. Their FrapShakes (like a frappuccino or frappe) are also wonderful. They use powdered chocolate instead of chocolate sauce to ensure their drinks are rich.

In the spring and summer, they will have outdoor seating, and they will be hiring baristas in the spring, so you can apply on their website if you are interested. They have an active Facebook page and Instagram, so be sure to follow them.

This article first appeared in the Friday, December 15, 2017, Edition of The Echo.