Identity Coffee Co.

  

Identity Coffee Co. is located in Taunton at 49 Main St., MA, 02780

In modern America, there's a flood of chain coffeeshops pasting themselves into any available space. Instead, choose local. In Taunton Massachusetts, one of the best options is Identity Coffee Co. Here, you'll find a vast array of drinks, food, and even ice cream should you so desire. I decided to try it out on a weekend, and even during the midday Saturday chaos, there was a sort of peace to the babble inside.

 

At Identity, you'll find a vast array of options to choose from. Everything from cold coffees and teas to specialty hot-brewed drinks are made to order by a host of friendly staff who make the experience all the better. With fresh-baked goods that rotate frequently, you'll never have the exact same options each time you come to Identity. If coffee isn't your exact taste, there's plenty more to choose from. Additionally, their reasonable prices make the trip far more worthwhile.

 

Immediately across the bar, you'll find the roughly placed stage. Among the wide variety of chairs populating the comfortable space, a well-kept space for musicians is maintained for events hosted on various nights. Here you'll get to listen to everything from easy jazz to relaxing low-fidelity tunes.

 

In the upstairs section overlooking the main cafe, you'll find a curated space for gatherings of friends and family to play games like billiards, table tennis, and a selection of board games. It's removed from the main room and allows the din to filter out, which is perfect for a friendly match or just calm isolation. Additionally, there's wheelchair access via an elevator so that everyone can enjoy the upstairs.

 

For children who prefer a quiet, solitary room, you'll find the Florence Room. The inviting warm maroon scheme colors a peaceful section of the coffeehouse away from the main chatter of the greater cafe. With a window to allow parents to keep an eye on the younger ones, this room is perfect for children and even adults who need a minute away from the madness.

On top of the Florence Room, the Lewis Room is a reservable space for many meetings and gatherings to be hosted at the coffeehouse. When I visited Identity, there was a business meeting that seemed of the utmost importance, so no pictures from me. When I was visiting, they were even building an art room dedicated to local artists.

 

Currently, Identity has a detailed vision board that explains to the public just what they plan to do for their community space in Taunton. A maker's market, a proper youth center, a library, an outdoor patio—Identity aims to be more than just a coffeeshop. They're a community center.

 

Seeing as how Identity is only six minutes away, always choose locally owned businesses like Identity. America needs more community spaces, and if you're in the area, stop by Identity and make their community space better with your presence.

Copper City Expresso - Dermott Amorim

Copper City Espresso 

Located in the center of Wrentham, Massachusetts, at 48 South St, Wrentham, MA 02093, Copper City Espresso provides a calm and refreshing place to grab a bite to eat and coffee with friends and family. Established in 2017, Copper City has been a nice addition to the center of Wrentham. 

The inside of the coffee shop was quaint and cute, with several different little nooks to sit in. Personally, my favorite was the two larger chairs situated near the window, as they were wicked comfy and also provided a good view of the whole shop and the outside street view. 

The nearest Dunkin' Donuts is only 30 seconds away, as it is under 0.1 miles and is a short walk away. I would rather go to Copper City as they have a better quality and variety of food substances and have easy access in and out of the store, versus the chaotic parking lot and drive-through of Dunkin'

 

I got a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel as I was on my way to work. It was very good and I would recommend getting it. They also have several types of muffins to choose from, which are also very good 

Pink Bean - Morgan Smith

Pink Bean in Somerset, Massachusetts is an amazing stop for coffee or breakfast. Pink Bean has created a space for anything you are looking for. Whether this is sitting down and enjoying the atmosphere or quickly grabbing curbside pickup on a busy day, they have you covered. When I visited, I decided to sit at a booth listening to live music. Their focus on supporting local artists and artisans adds to the strong sense of community.  

There menu has many things to offer. They have different coffee roasts to fit any preferences. They also have a long list of food items and smoothies, which are definitely worth trying! I chose their Sweet Jones, which is their dark roast and it was good. I also tried a salted caramel latte with oat milk, which I would avoid getting again. Next time I go, I will definitely try their light roast as well as more of their breakfast sandwiches!

It is only about a minute down the road from the nearest Dunkin'. Especially with Pink Bean's curbside pickup and higher quality food that tastes significantly better, I would definitely recommend giving it a try and avoiding the chain!

Somerset

202 Slades Ferry Ave

SOMERSET, 02726-5706

15085671377

Sturbridge Coffee Roasters

 On a bleak day in a small, quaint town that I grew up in, an unsuspecting cafe sits. From the outskirts appears to be a white house with a patio, but there’s much more brewing on the inside. Sturbridge Coffee Roasters, located in Charlton Massachusetts, has multiple locations– Dudley, Charlton, and Sturbridge-of course. Their Charlton location opened in 2022 just down the road from where I live. But their journey began as their name implies– roasting coffee in Sturbridge Ma since 2004. However, quickly outgrowing this location they decided to relocate to Southbridge. Then, they opened a second location in 2016, and their third location in 2022. On top of that– something that makes this coffee shop very unique– they not only sell coffee but locally roast coffee beans, having opened a dedicated space for roasting their coffee in 2019 in Southbridge Ma. 

They have an immense array of coffee beans from all over the coffee belt freshly roasted and labeled with their country of origin. Countless of these include organic, fair trade certified, and rainforest alliance certified coffee, along with a few that are swiss water processed. They have the prices lucidly listed on the top of the baker’s rack beside the coffee beans. But they don’t just stop there– they also include the altitude the beans were grown at, flavor notes, harvest period, milling process, and even the soil type. All of which are bound to impress coffee connoisseurs.   

There were innumerable drink and food options. And of course, a vast selection of hot, freshly roasted, ground, and brewed coffee from countries such as Ethiopia, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, and many more. So, of course, coupled with the chilly, damp weather and our refined coffee-tasting palettes, it only made sense to get a cold spiced apple cider and a coffee smoothie.

                                                          

                                                         My lovely mother enjoying her coffee smoothie

 

Coffee Smoothie & Spiced Apple Cider Healthy & House-made Food & Drinks

The closest Dunkin is located a staggering 900ft away resulting in a strenuous 1 minute escapade if you want to go the distance.

-Fiona Duke 

Neighbors Coffee & Co

 Neighbors Coffee & Co

Neighbors Coffee & Co is a local coffee shop located in the center of Taunton, MA. The shop provides a comfy atmosphere with lots of options for beverages and food. All the staff are very friendly and were able to answer all my questions that I had about their shop and the coffee. After hitting the farmers' markets in 2021, the owner, Rachel van Opijnen, got to open her own shop in her hometown of Taunton in 2023. 

  

The shop is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 7AM-2PM. With easy street parking and a parking lot located across the street, this is a great spot to either stop in quickly or sit down with friends and catch up. There was ample seating at both the tables and the window counters. We went on a Friday around 11:30AM, so there wasn't a ton of people inside but a few had just left before we walked in.    

From specialty "New Englander" lattes to simple Americanos, and naturally made blueberry lemonade, this shop has something for everyone! All syrups are made with natural, fresh ingredients every week in-house. Plus, all of their coffee is sourced ethically, grown globally, and roasted locally. They also have many different flavors of beans for sale, both inside and on their website.  https://theneighborscoffee.com/  

My friends and I ordered a large blueberry-lemonade ($6.91), a small iced mocha latte with oat milk ($6.90), and a maple sausage-and-feta sandwich on an English muffin ($9.50). You can also order any sandwich on a bagel if you prefer! While it was a tad pricey, everything was very good, and it's nice to know that what we were eating/drinking was made with natural, fresh ingredients sourced ethically. 

 

The shop is only located 3-4 minutes away from Dunkin and about 9 minutes away from the nearest Starbucks. Personally, I would much rather spend the little extra money and support a small local business. 

The shop has a really great vibe to it and I can't wait to go back. It's a 10/10 experience and a perfect spot if you're trying to get work done or you just want to pop in for a quick coffee. 

-Wendy G