by Isabella Ruiz

Whether you are driving to work, taking a morning walk or walking through a mall, you are almost guaranteed to find a coffee shop in close proximity to you. Just a decade ago, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts were the main coffee shops that people used to go to. Now, coffee has more meaning than ever.

There have been more flavors that have been popularized as well as more coffee shops appearing, many of which are local small businesses. One of those local coffee shops in Greensboro is called 33 & Elm Coffee House. This coffee shop hires employees who are visually impaired and donates all proceeds to Industries of the Blind.

When I first walked into this coffee shop, I felt a sense of joy and comfort before even knowing anything about what this place stood for. I was welcomed with many inspiring paintings on the walls as well as couches to sit on, which made the place feel even more like a home. The coffee shop also has a conference room and allows customers to pay to rent out the conference room if needed. Another interesting thing that they do is that they allow people to rent out the whole coffee shop for a day.

To make this place even more unique, they do $5 yoga every week. It lasts about half an hour and is the perfect morning activity to go along with a cup of coffee. In addition, not only does 33 & Elm Coffee House have unique events and promotions, they also have great coffee and pastries. They have the typical coffee flavors as well as seasonal specialty flavors. Since it is fall, they have drinks such as the pumpkin spice latte and a black forest cherry latte to help get customers in the festive mood. They also have a variety of food to choose from: croissant sandwiches, salads and quiches. For those with a sweet tooth, they have brownies and cookies, which also come in gluten-free options. They also have a variety of different cheesecakes from “Cheesecakes by Alex” located in downtown Greensboro.

This coffee shop has it all. The calming atmosphere, the home-like feeling, food to satisfy everybody and unique events that are hard to find at any other coffee shop. Although all of these things are great and a part of the
coffee experience, that is not even the best thing about this business. The best part about this coffee shop is that they encourage visually-impaired people to work for them while giving them a safe and welcoming environment to be in every single day. Not only do they do that, they also donate money to Institutes of the Blind to make sure every visually-impaired person gets what they need and is able to work comfortably and live the best life they can.