As the weather cools and autumn rolls in, hot beverages and seasonal specialty menus put coffee shops on everyone’s minds. To truly discover what coffee shop offers the best autumn experience, I had to reach out to the whole panther community.
In a close win against Trident, OZO Coffee East Pearl came in with an average score of 3.85 out of 5 on a survey of 150 Boulder High students. With a glass garage door that allows in fresh air and an open layout in the summer and natural lighting in the winter, OZO on east pearl creates a great atmosphere for studying or hanging out with friends. With 85% of the 150 polled students indicating that they will walk 10 minutes to a coffee shop, OZO’s location on Pearl Street & 16th makes it one of the most accessible coffee shops to Boulder High School, only a 9 minute walk away.
In the autumn/Halloween spirit, OZO staff recommend that you try their seasonal pumpkin drinks including their pumpkin latte. They also offer cheaper coffee than most places on Pearl, with a 12oz coffee for $2.35 or a 12oz latte for $4.20.
Scoring only 0.05 less than OZO, Trident came in a surprisingly close second favorite despite the fact that it is located almost twice as far from Boulder high, a full 15 minute walk each way. This may be because Trident has been a student favorite for decades, “I remember going to the Trident with my friends in high school,” AP English and newspaper teacher Mr. Wright notes.
The Trident has established itself quite the legacy in the Boulder community since its establishment 45 years ago, boasting a 4.7★ rating on over 1,000 google reviews. According to staff, the most popular drinks to order at Trident are a cappuccino or drip coffee. Drinks are priced considerably higher than OZO, with a 12oz coffee for $3.00 or a 12oz latte for $4.25, but this accurately reflects an increase in quality of your beverage. And if coffee is not your drift, they also boast “the best tea you’ll find in the area.”
In addition to their hot drinks selection, Trident has both a multitude of pastries supplied by Spruce Confections and their own bookstore. Trident also hosts their own events, if you stop by on the weekend you can sit on the back patio and watch local bands play.
Although the survey only included seven coffee shops, students submitted some honorable mentions: Spruce Confections, Lindsay’s Boulder Deli, and Brewing Market, with lower prices often cited as the reason for the recommendation. But when polled on the maximum price they were willing to spend, 75% of students indicated that they would spend $5 or more on a one drink- meaning that most Boulder High students value characteristics like location and menu over small differences in price between coffee shops.
These characteristics can have a huge impact on the popularity of a coffee shop with students. Despite both OZO coffee shops offering the same menus and high-quality coffee, OZO Coffee East Pearl scored a full 11% higher than their West Pearl location near Trident. This may be due to the very different ambience of the two OZO coffee shops, where East Pearl’s open-air layout and natural lighting may be more appealing to Boulder High students than West Pearl’s cozy but enclosed location.
