An Escape from the Ordinary . . . refrigerator

After a Thanksgiving day of eating, napping and baking holiday treats for humans and canines, this morning was time for Mocha Mutt to escape from the almighty, overstuffed, delectables-filled refrigerator at home . . . and to get back to work!! Where better to do this than one of my favorite Triad Coffee Shops? I could get a sandwich (chicken, not turkey, thank you!), a warm, highly-caffeinated beverage, and about 10 miles between me and the refrigerator. So, I could focus on my work, enjoy holiday music in the background, and eat only what I needed to eat, and not everything in sight.

While the thrill of the hunt motivates many people to shopping centers on Black Friday, Mocha Mutt prefers the relaxed, happy atmosphere of a coffee shop - - it's a refuge from the traffic, noise, and busy-ness of the season, and a pleasant way to enjoy a small meal and "comfort" beverage. Won't you join me?

Thank You!

Thanks, Mom & Dad!

 On Thanksgiving, let's give some thanks to Triad Coffee Shop owners and staff who:

• get out of bed when it's cold, dark, and too doggone early so they can have the coffee ready for us
• hold charitable fundraisers and share the dough with worthy organizations
• learn everything there is to know about coffee so we can enjoy the best
• buy fair and direct trade coffee so folks can provide for their families and their communities in developing countries
• enjoy the company of the neighborhood regulars and make strangers feel just as welcome
• let regulars keep their own mugs handy!
• post pictures of yummy baked treats and espresso drinks on Facebook
• employ hard-working college students
• make the world a better place, one cup at a time.

Let's also give some thanks to the coffee shop fans who:

• support small businesses and buy local every day
• know a good cup of coffee when they smell it!
• take time to enjoy a conversation with neighbors at the coffee shop
• put green money in the tip jar
• read this blog. CoffeeCat writes it for you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Grumpy! Yeah, you!

Don't go to the in-laws' house in a foul state of mind. Don't go shopping in a funk. Get some caffeine from your favorite Triad Coffee Shop before you go anywhere!

Check out the Events page for holiday opening/closing info and some "get-me-out-of-the-house" happenings on Friday & Saturday!

Come to think of it, you can do all your shopping & football watching at a Triad Coffee Shop. Hmmm. . . I'm thinking of some new holiday traditions for CoffeeCat!

Coffee shop owners, please post info about your holiday weekend events here!

NOT to humbug (so far)

Although I nearly went berserk when I heard around-the-clock Christmas music starting on a certain radio station.

Coffee, take me away!

The blog posts are a little sparse this week. I'm having coffee shop withdrawal! So, I'll point you to a few interesting things going on around local coffee shops. And I'm making a point to clear my schedule so I can get to a coffee shop 7 days a week!

Tazza Cafe & Bistro is remodeling and asking customers to pitch in and lend some elbow grease the week after Thanksgiving. In exchange, drinks and snacks are on the house. They'll host a grand re-opening on Friday, Dec. 3, so stay tuned for more details.

Robust-ah is featured on a nifty website for designers. Take a look at these 40 Delicious and Beautiful Coffee websites, but only when you've got a great coffee shop drink in hand. Looking at this website without a cup of coffee is like watching Food Network with an empty refrigerator.

Coffee shops, including Tate Street and Community Arts Cafe, are packing the Thanksgiving weekend full of literary & musical events. How did they guess we would need a place to get away from it all?? Hmmmm. . . .

Cafe Roche invites musicians, poets and other talented people to sign up for acoustic nights on Thursdays, starting Dec. 2. Somehow, I don't think they meant me! So, someone with talent please sign up. I can't help ya on this one! You bring the talent, Cafe Roche provides the caffeine.
Caffe Prada is planning Christmas stories and music for the family to enjoy. Hey, kids love coffee shops, too. Your kids work hard all week, too. Give 'em a treat!
Coffee shops, keep the news & events coming so we can inform the fans.

People are Hungry

So feed 'em! Once again, Triad Coffee Shops are stepping up. See the events page for a great idea - Braided Cord Coffee is throwing a packing party to pack Thanksgiving meals to share with others. The Wet Whistle is accepting donations of canned food at its weekly wine tasting Friday afternoon and musical performance that evening.

Holiday food drives will start soon and the homeless shelters need your help serving food 7 days a week -- not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We coffee shop fans are fortunate that we can work, earn our living, and have some bucks left over to enjoy great coffee in nifty little shops. But don't assume we are spoiled . . . most coffee shop fans are smart cookies. We contribute to fundraisers all year that coffee shops host.

All year, you'll see fundraisers at Triad Coffee Shops for all kinds of charities. Although CoffeeCat and MochaMutt love to write about the howls & meows, we, along with most coffee shop fans, love helping their human friends, too. Coffee shops, please let us know how you are saving the world and ending world hunger!

No Excuses!

If you think of yourself as a writer, poet, painter, singer, performer, or artistic type of any sort, there are no more excuses to procrastinate! The Triad is full of opportunities to learn and perform.

Check out the Events page and you'll see just a smidge of what I'm talking about. Especially in Winston-Salem, where, apparently, we are taking no prisoners in our quest to be the City of Arts and Innovation. I love all the Triad, but Winston-Salem is keeping my head spinning. There are tons of opportunities from around the Triad on Smitty's Notes official event calendar at http://www.everwondr.com/. 

It's a great time to be CoffeeCat, sampling Triad Coffee Shops and writing about them. My family has caught the bug, too! They alerted me to a new shop in Kernersville and they drank coffee without me in Summerfield.

Ay yai yai, so many coffee shops, so few hours in the day.