Coffee Shop Review: Reader’s Cup!

Calling all coffee and book lovers in the Cedar Valley! A new coffee shop opened its doors last Saturday. The Nook on Main Street in Cedar Falls decided to expand their shop and create a cozy coffee shop, Reader’s Cup. I knew I needed to check it out, so earlier this week I took a trip downtown with some friends to see and sip first hand. Here is my review of the shop broken down into some categories for you.

CONCEPT:

Reader’s Cup concept gets a 5/5 star review from me. There is nothing that pairs better than a book and a coffee. I might be biased because my two favorite hobbies are drinking coffee and reading, but this idea of having a joint coffee and bookshop is a unique addition to the Cedar Valley. There is not another shop like this anywhere near us. Small businesses are always needing to find ways to differentiate themselves from similar competition and I think the Readers Cup has set themselves apart.

★★★★★

ESPRESSO:

This rating I expected to be the most harsh in. Working at a coffee shop has made me a tough critic when it comes to espresso shots in my lattes. I can scope out a “bad” shot pretty darn well. However, I was impressed with the Reader’s Cup coffee. I got a “Lavender Haze” which was a honey lavender latte. (This is another fun feature at the shop: they name their drinks after popular book titles!) Given the fact the shop JUST opened, I thought their espresso tasted great. It was not burnt and not bitter. The coffee blended well with the syrups and milk. They could be better at mixing their honey into the shot instead of letting it soak to the bottom, but other than that I was impressed.

★★★

ATMOSPHERE:

Can I give the atmosphere 6/5 stars?! Seriously, I loved the vibe of this shop. The interior is modern but also has charm. There is a downstairs nook of places to sit and an upstairs loft with seating area. Also, there is window seating on the downstairs level. The coffee shop was filled with bookshelves throughout the coffee shop with classic novels and books. The walls have galleries of art work adding to that charm I was talking about. The best part, though, was the cut out doors that open up the space to the bookstore on the other side. Obsessed is an understatement. The only recommendation is if someone is coming into study, the tables and chairs are pretty small in size. The perfect size for reading a book or chatting with a friend, just not for laying out work or homework.

★★★★

SERVICE:

I was pleasantly greeted and helped. The people were super friendly to me when ordering my drink. I did not feel rushed or judged when I couldn’t decide what I wanted. The worker pleasantly waited until I was ready and was friendly in his responses to me. Very personable workers! The wait was not bad given the line of people and they handed out my drink with a smile.

★★★★

PRICE:

The price was my least favorite part from this shop. I paid almost $9 for my drink. I know it’s a unique experience and the atmosphere and service were awesome but $9 is not a price I could pay consistently. There are other coffee shops in the Cedar Valley that I could pay about half of that for when getting a cup of coffee. As much as I would love to be able to go often to the Readers Cup, the price has me thinking it is an every once in a while shop. 

★★