Entering an unknown coffee shop, freshman liberal studies major Cynthia Jimenez can instantly tell whether to order her usual white mocha or to exit the shop altogether.

Jimenez said coffee shops are the best places to sit down, focus and actually study, although she admits not every coffee shop meets her standards.

Jimenez said there are a few telltale signs that turn her away from a cafe, which includes uncomfortable furniture, obnoxious clientele and weak coffee.

“I guess you could call me picky,” Jimenez said. “But honestly, I just need a perfect environment to study in. If all of the things don’t add up – like good coffee, tolerable people and cozy surroundings, then I know I won’t get any of my work done.”

Jimenez said she has found that Temple Coffee House on 10th Street is the best location for her to get work done. She said one of the reasons she returns to Temple is the atmosphere.

The outside of the shop resembles a cottage, while inside, subtle jazz music can be heard. Paintings from local artists hang on the walls for sale and costumers can be found camped out at each of the small two-person tables lining the long and narrow cafe.

Jimenez said the quiet environment at Temple, which is almost void of distractions altogether, forces her to focus on her work.”I can really concentrate in Temple because the majority of customers in there are studying just like myself – unlike Starbucks where a soccer mom walks in every five minutes with seven kids,” Jimenez said. “Not to mention the coffee is delicious.”

Travis Cameron, who works at Temple, said each employee is excessively trained, which attributes to the quality of the beverages at the shop.

“I trained for 200 hours on the bar (as a barista) and I still only run the register the majority of the time,” Cameron said. “Our boss is extremely picky when it comes to his coffee, but that’s why the customers keep coming back.”

Similar to Jimenez, Barry Roth, a high school English teacher, found his safe haven for grading papers in a coffee shop just off H Street called Tupelo Coffee House and Roasting Co.

“It’s the first coffee shop I felt really comfortable and productive in and this is some of the best coffee I have had in the area,” Roth said. “Now, out of habit, Tupelo is the place I have to go to in order to get work done. I can really tune everything else out here.”

Jennifer Fox, manager of Tupelo, said most independently run coffee shops are able to make personal connections with each of their customers.

“There are only 40 employees in the entire chain for a reason,” Fox said. “We know the customers names and they know ours.”

Fox said that Tupelo’s shops are not only independently run, but owner Chris Pendarvis also owns the roasting company that supplies Tupelo, Naked Coffee Roasting.

“Tupelo is all about being local and independent,” Fox said. “We’re really grassroots.”

Tupelo’s decor is rustic and earth-toned. The seats are worn in and upbeat ’80s music can be heard throughout the shop.

Kelly Lewis, junior psychology major at UC Santa Cruz, said the coffee shop she frequently visits when home in Sacramento is called The Coffee Garden, located on Franklin Boulevard.

Lewis said her love for Coffee Garden started during her freshman year at American River College.

She said the cafe provided a calm environment in which she could study.

“I love how many different sections of the cafe there are,” Lewis said. “There is the front section where coffee is purchased, then there is the back garden with patio seating and there is also a spacious quiet room through a door in the back of the shop.”

Inside The Coffee Garden, plants, Buddhist art and bonsai trees can be seen.

In addition, garden decor and fountains are scattered throughout the backyard garden.

Lewis said she always sits in a room called the quiet room because others respect her space.

“It’s not like there are actual rules where you have to use your five-inch voice. People just respect each other,” Lewis said. “Also, the quiet room is a lot less cluttered than the other sections of the cafe.”

Lewis said she enjoys the clutter of the cafe on days when she can relax because it feels homey, but when she needs to study, the quiet room is a better environment for her to be in.

Nicole Sena, Coffee Garden employee, said the shop is family- and community-oriented. She said practically all of the shop’s customers are regulars.

“We’re not necessarily better than other coffee shops, we just have different strong points,” Sena said. “For one, our environment is really unique.”

Lewis said although Coffee Garden works for her study habits, she understands that other people may prefer to work at different coffee shops.

“Generally, I think a good chunk of college students either grab coffee before they study or stay and study in a coffee shop of their choice,” Lewis said. “It totally depends on their preference as to where their niche in coffee shop is.”

Katrina Tupper can be reached at [email protected]