Caffeine is an essential part of most students’ lives. Thousands of cans of Kickstart are sold to students every semester, while many others wake up early to grab their favorite Rebel or cold brew from Dutch before class.

Last year, Perry’s very own coffee shop, Java City, opened. Students all over campus made the coffees, teas, and smoothies part of their daily routines. Due to the fact that the school wanted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the coffee shop was closed. On Mar. 23, the shop was reopened and is now ready to give students their caffeine (or non-caffeinated drink) fix.

Java City is a coffee company based in Phoenix with an emphasis on sustainability and the ethical sourcing of their ingredients. When the coffee shop was brought to Perry, the menu was pared down for simplicity and adjusted to meet federal guidelines for cafeteria food. This means that there are no incredibly fancy drinks, no milk alternatives (like almond or oat milk), and all of the syrups used are sugar-free.

Although not the best coffee in the world, many students like junior Natali Sloan think, “It’s pretty good because it’s right there, it’s for convenience mainly… it’s somewhat cheap…it’s right at the school so it’s nice that you don’t have to drive out of the way”.

Junior Bridget Hale, who has been a loyal customer since day one, says she likes Java City because,  “It’s convenient and I usually don’t have time to go to Dutch or Starbucks before school, so I can just go at lunch.” Trips to the coffee stand have become a daily staple for Hale, saying she goes “too often”.

When it comes to picking a drink, Hale recommends the Creamy Caramel Cold Brew with no added milk. Sloan says, “Strawberry Banana Smoothie for sure…I like their smoothies a lot”.

Some personal favorites are the Hot Mocha with Irish Cream added and the Arnold Palmer (tea and lemonade). If you are avoiding caffeine, the Hot Chocolate and lemonade are great options.

All drinks are in 12 oz cups and cost less than $5 (the pricier drinks are the Frappuccino-like Avalanches and the smoothies). At the stand, you can also pick up salads, sandwiches, muffins, donut holes, and other snacks. Do not forget to pick up a stamp card too, once you collect 10 stamps, you can get a free drink.

Java City is located inside the cafeteria and is open before school and during all lunches. Whether you’ve never tried it before or are about to fall back into an old routine, Java City is here to stay.

Sloan said “It was sad when it was closed” and both juniors agree they are glad the coffee joint is back open.