Traveling can be stressful at times, especially when vegan and finding a source of food. Thankfully the internet has reduced the level of stress but it has not eliminated it. This last weekend my husband and I traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Since it was a working Friday, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice coffee at a cafe along with some pastries at a vegan cafe.
In the city of Kalamazoo, there are a few options but not many for vegans living a healthy lifestyle. Sure, there is always Panera bread and other chains restaurants but even those do not offer healthy ingredients and 100% assurance that the options are vegan. In fact, we have found that each Panera restaurant actually has a gigantic book full of ingredients per item they sell. Hence, each time you go into one of these restaurants, one must not be surprised if the options are less than expected.
After scouring the internet, we finally found Water Street Coffee Joint at 3037 Oakland Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49007. In total there are three cafe locations but we chose the Oakland location since it was near our shopping destination for the afternoon. We chose this restaurant out of others seeing that their website stated to ask the servers for vegan pastries since most of their options are vegan but are not labeled as such.
Once in the cafe, we did as their website suggested and asked the servers for the vegan options and we were treated as if we were asking for sushi or something. The server talked to the barista and they both stated that everything always has either eggs, milk or both. We were less than satisfied, especially since she didn't even check a book or double check with the baker of the pastries (which are supposed to be made in the cafe).
On the other hand, the coffee was delicious. The cups were disposable (not Styrofoam) however if you dine-in, you can get real ceramic mugs to use which is very eco-friendly. The to-go cups were delightfully decorated with the cafe's decor of the natural environment.
Following along with the natural theme, the atmosphere of the cafe was full to the brim. The floor materials were similar to that of what someone would see in a factory or antique store. The walls were decorated with engineer drawings and mixed art that showcased natural ingredients. For instance, there was a nice natural wood slate with horse painted stones. It was just a natural, homey feeling to a vegan but without the "hippy-turnoff" effect to the general public. It was just a happy blend.
As for the other attractions in the store were of course the pastry display case in front of the cashier near the floor, which was impossible to see even when standing in front of it. In fact, I had to get on the floor to see in the case which does not really deem well for older patrons. Another display case was sitting out for customers that would come in the afternoon hours, which was about three times the size of the other, and available to all viewers just about anywhere in the cafe. It contained options for lunch and dinner such as sandwiches and other pastries. Personally, I felt that the cafe was more of a restaurant than that of a coffee house which it boasts as being on their website. Additionally, I thought it was a little unappealing to have sandwiches out so early in the morning for the afternoon and evening crowd. Outside of the food category, there were cases filled with coffee beans to purchase and Klean Kanteen bottles to purchase.
As for the ambiance of the cafe, my husband and I both had mixed opinions. We both felt the natural theme was wonderful and it really captured the essence of the theme. Additionally, Klean Kanteen bottles were available which again follows along with the d©cor. There was a good amount of setting throughout the cafe which encases two sections indoors and a few small outdoors settings. The lighting was perfect for a coffee/cafe and it had a warm attitude to its overall decor. My only complaint about the ambiance was that the customers were rather loud when we visited. There were three women and a baby that chose to sit next to us and continued to speak loud which only was accepted by the echoes throughout the building. We moved outside to get away from the screaming baby (which the mother was doing nothing about) to pamper our sore ears. Unfortunately, even though the doors were closed, it was just as loud outside as it was inside.
All in all, the Water Street Coffee Joint was more of a quick in-and-out instead of a casual coffee "joint" as they proclaim it is on their website. We did end up staying for about two hours to do our work with the free Wi-Fi but if we did not have to get some work done, we would have left after about five minutes. So, if you are looking for delicious coffee I highly suggest popping in and out with a to-go cup but as for staying in the cafe, I suggest finding another quiet and friendly place to spend your hours and money.
