The Panther’s definitive coffee shop studyability ratings
Collage by Matias Pacheco-Ramirez, Photographer
It’s finals week, which means that every spot on campus is completely packed. Students who missed out on the library or Keck Center will be dying for a comfortable and motivating place to study for hours on end. That is why The Panther has compiled a nearly comprehensive rating of the premier coffee shops in the Orange Circle, based on studyability.
Caleb Otte took over the first five coffee shops we will rate, while Ben Price did the latter half. We looked at each location through the lens of these variables to ultimately arrive at a final rating of studyability: price, hours of operation, return on investment of time and money, overall ambience, volume levels, crowds/open space and comfortability of seating.
These ratings are highly subjective and are only intended to offer advice for students looking for the best off-campus study spot.
CONTRA Coffee and Tea
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Price range
Cheapest: $5 horchata
Most expensive: $15 to take home a jug of the drink of your choice, $25 for two jugs
Most things are from $5.50 to $6.50; really solid price range
No food, only drinks
STOP GOING HERE TO STUDY! I don’t say this to clear out the crowds, I say it as a public service announcement. You will get more work done at Play or Philz (more on them later). CONTRA is a great place to relax and get reasonably priced and good drinks, but it is a terrible place to lock in.
I spent five minutes struggling to remember what I wanted to write on my to-do list because I kept getting distracted. The music playing is too good — for example, “Kids” by MGMT, “The Spins” by Mac Miller and “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer — and there’s too much to look at. Cool posters line the walls. There’s a damn vinyl shop in the back. I mean, come on.
Readers may roll their eyes at this, but it’s true. Finding a seat is nearly impossible, especially if you come with a group. There is almost no charging space, as only two or three spots up against the wall have an outlet. If you want to make use of the long hours, then you will want to charge your computer, and it isn’t feasible here.
Don’t get me wrong — this is a great place. Having a vinyl store in a coffee/tea shop is awesome. It’s open late, and the drinks are pretty good. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the business, but I feel that time here would be better spent exploring, chatting with friends or going on a date.
Final rating of studyability: 3/10
Play Coffee
Hours: Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Price range
Cheapest drink: $4 espresso
Most expensive drink: $9 strawberry matcha
Average cost: ~$7 plus tax
Also have a few donuts and cookies, no real food; prices not listed
Play Coffee is an elite study spot, but it has downfalls as a coffee shop. The drinks are good but barely worth it. There are places with similar quality and flavors that are $2 cheaper per item.
That’s the only big negative, though. I always feel motivated here. It’s never a waste to spend time at Play. Everybody seems locked in, and the fact it is located in the historic Old Towne Orange bank certainly gives people the feeling of “this is where work gets done, so I need to be productive”.
I could talk about the ample table space, or even bemoan the difficulty in securing a seat with an outlet, but this is mostly a vibe thing. I have never struggled to get work done here. Overall, Play is easy to spend four to five hours getting all assignments for the week done, and as long as you only buy one drink, studying should be a successful experience.
Final rating of studyability: 9/10
Long Dog Coffee and Treats
Hours: Closed on Mondays; Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Price range
Cheapest drink: $3 espresso
Most expensive drink: $8 matcha latte
Real food: avocado toast ranges from $6-9, sandwiches are $10
Treats: around $3-6, pies are $9
Long Dog is a conundrum. On the one hand, it is a complete joy to be there. On the other hand, I don’t want to spend a lot of time there. Especially not studying.
Dog paraphernalia lines the walls, and people often bring their adorable pets along. The drinks and food are worth their price. But 30 minutes was enough for me before I wanted to leave. The problem is that the space is very cramped, and I never felt comfortable enough to get lost in my work. I wish this place made me feel less claustrophobic, because it is lovely. The dogs, the pictures on the wall, the light, jazzy music, the drinks, the delicious sandwiches and pretty much everything about Long Dog are lovely. Just not studying.
Personally, I think the best way to experience the most hidden coffee shop in The Circle is to get a drink with a friend, spend a little time chatting or petting puppies and then move on with the day.
Final rating of studyability: 3/10
L’Orange Cafe
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Price Range
Drinks
Cheapest: $3.75 Americano
Most expensive: $8 matcha with add-ons
Most drinks are from $5.50 to $7 depending on the add-ons
Food
Most food is in the $14-20 range, with some food going up to nearly $30
Pastries are about $4-6 per piece
~$9 for gelato
Studying at a cafe is the way to go. It may seem a bit weird to pull out a computer while other people are having full lunches, but once I moved past that feeling, it was very easy to get work done.
L’Orange is not without its flaws for a person studying. For one, it isn’t open super early or super late, as it isn’t tailored to a busy Chapman student. The drinks are on par with Play in terms of price, and the food also seems a bit expensive, but if you want variety, it may be worth it. The music playing is kind of loud, and not enjoyable to listen to, and the place was whirring with a background noise that demanded that I put on headphones.
In the end, however, L’Orange is more than worth giving a shot. Cafe studying is a fancy alternative to feeling like a hollow shell of a person wasting away in the Leatherby Library, especially because they bring food and drinks right to the table. There is good Wi-Fi and bathrooms, as well as space to sit. Even though it is expensive, I felt better spending $8 on a drink here than other locations, and I was at peace once my own playlist was in my ears.
Final rating of studyability: 7.5/10
Urth Caffé
Hours: Monday-Friday, Sunday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
Price range
Drinks
Cheapest: $3.50 coffee of the day
Most expensive: $10.50 for certain bobas and smoothies (seriously, get boba from a real boba place for cheaper)
Most drinks are around $6-8 depending on size
Food
Most will be in the $14-20 range
Pastries are around $4-7
Do not study at Urth under any circumstances. Go to CONTRA or Long Dog or “Hell Cafe owned and operated by Satan” before going there. Only a masochist would choose to spend 20 minutes in line for a kind of crappy and expensive pastry or coffee, just to feel a complete lack of motivation when it comes time to open up the laptop and get to work.
Obviously it depends on the time of day you choose to go, but Urth is often completely packed and it lacks any sort of quiet area to study. When L’Orange also exists — with similar food and drink prices, a short wait time and more comfortable seating — I don’t see why somebody would choose Urth to get the cafe studying vibes.
I was out on Urth from the second I walked in. It killed all of my studying energy. No lies. In fairness, they don’t brand themselves as a chill study spot so I get it, but if anybody had considered coming here to study because of the great hours I would not recommend it.
Final rating of studyability: 0/10
Blk Dot
Hours: Open 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Price range:
Drinks: $4.50-7.50
I don’t have a whole lot to say about a fairly unremarkable trip to Blk Dot, which may in fact, be a damning commentary on where it stands in the hierarchy of Orange study spots. My iced thai tea was a little expensive for what I received in terms of portions, but it was quite good and I’ve had some thai teas in my day.
Black Dot’s space, or lack thereof, is by far its biggest drawback. It’s too narrow, too small, seating is limited and the interior isn’t terribly appealing. There’s a small bit of outdoor seating, but the metal chairs are vicious on the posterior.
Final rating of studyability: 4/10
Philz
Hours: Open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Price range:
Cheapest: $4.95 small original coffee blends.
Most expensive: $7.15 large featured creations (Mint Mojito, Gingersnap, etc.)
I’m partial to Philz; I can fondly recall getting a coffee and setting up my laptop almost every afternoon of the autumn of my sophomore year. Of any of the places listed here, I’ve spent the most time here, and it’s seen me at my highest and lowest. At Philz, I’ve run the gamut of academic challenges. If you need any evidence of Philz as a worthy study spot, I offer my experience. I’ve taken calls, finished up final essays at the last minute, cranked out presentations, etc.
There’s a wide range of seating for all preferences. Long couches, short couches, high tops, inside and out. It’s worth noting the advantage of the outside seating in case you want to study and get some fresh air. Even if you sit inside, there's a healthy helping of sunshine beaming through the window as you lock in.
The best advice I can give you about Philz is to peruse what you can of their off-menu items, which are listed on a small sheet of paper hanging on a fridge near the register. It’s got several novel spins on their set drinks, like adding cinnamon to their Philtered Soul, a personal favorite of mine. When I took my first sip of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Philz ascended to a whole new level in my coffee power rankings. It changed the game.
Final rating of studyability: 9/10
Lost Bean
Hours: Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
Price range: $3.50-7
My friend once aptly described the Bean’s vibe as being “industrial.” It’s a bit of an acquired taste in this regard, with its hardwood floors and visible pipes in the ceiling. The lack of aesthetics actually contributes to Lost Bean’s qualities that encourage productivity and studying. There are also meeting rooms you can reserve for you and your study groups.
The staff are the most friendly and always strike up a conversation. Plus, they’re open later than pretty much everywhere else on this list, which has proven especially useful to me. Most of the seating is located on a floor above the entrance, so you’re separated from the comings and goings of fellow patrons, and it’s easier to focus on assignments.
It’s worth noting that it’s a little removed from the rest of the Circle. California natives conditioned to the heat and driving rather than being pedestrians may be confused by such a trek beyond Wahoo’s Taco, but I assure you it is worth it. Depending on where you’re sitting, the music can be a little overbearing, so I’d recommend bringing headphones if you’re not aligned with whoever’s on aux. Other than that, there’s no place in or out of the circle that has spurred such productivity for me.
Final rating of studyability: 9/10
Bluestone Lane
Hours: Open 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Price range: $4-7.50 (smoothies are a whole different ball game)
I entered my time at Bluestone Lane with much skepticism. The prices seemed steep to me. I was taken aback and felt a little betrayed for spending $7 on a coffee that wasn't terribly large.
However, my Bluestone experience took a turn when that same coffee was accompanied by a sizable glass bottle of water. To my knowledge, none of the other places we’ve covered have this perk — and it may seem a small thing, but with the coffee/water combo, I really allowed myself to fall into the relaxed vibes Bluestone is attempting to cultivate. When the staff asked how I was doing, I felt like I was at a resort. There are numerous pictures of ocean waves on the walls, giving the establishment an oasis-like quality. You might expect to step out and see sandy shores rather than the back of Paul’s Cocktails.
Final rating of studyability: 8/10
Caffe-In
Hours: Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Price range: $4-7
Caffe-In is the newest coffee place in the Circle we’ve mentioned, so we’re operating solely on first impressions, but I will definitely be returning in the future. I took an employee’s suggestion and got a brown sugar oat latte.
They’re a little low on seating, which I’m sure will pose a problem as it gains popularity among the Chapman community. So I implore you to make it your spot now before it becomes someone else’s.
Final rating of studyability: 6/10
In our ratings, Play, Philz and Lost Bean reign supreme, and don’t sleep on L’Orange, Caffe-In or Bluestone Lane. Whatever you do, try to stay away from CONTRA, Blk Dot and Long Dog for studying, and 100% avoid Urth.
Wherever you Chapman students choose to spend your studying time, good luck. But if you stray from this list, don’t blame The Panther for the results.