What's Brewing for New U City Coffee Shop

The owners and baristas at Blueprint Coffee, which is set to open in the Delmar Loop this summer, will bring experience from Kaldi's and Half & Half.

When Blueprint Coffee opens on Delmar Boulevard this summer, it will be with no shortage of staff expertise. Partner Mike Marquard is the current coffee expert at Clayton's Half & Half and a former Kaldi's barista, and Kevin Reddy and Andrew Timko are fixtures at Kaldi's, RFT's Gut Check reports. Two baristas will bring experience from Kaldi's and Kayak's. Find out more about the new business on Gut Check. Blueprint Coffee will share a building with Mission Taco Joint and Chubbie's.

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Starbucks Offers New $1 Reusable Tumbler

Would you pay $1 for the reusable plastic cup now available at St. Louis area Starbucks coffee shops?

In an effort to lesson the load of trash from disposable cups, Starbucks is now offering a new reusable tumbler.  The Seattle-based coffee company is now selling the plastic cups for $1 at St. Louis coffee shops, including the locations in University City and the Delmar Loop.  The cups bear the Starbucks logo and resembling the paper cups. Starbucks is also offering a ten cent discount for each refill.  According to USA Today, the $1 tumbler is reportedly the latest effort to address criticism and reduce the amount of disposable items that clutter landfills or end up as litter.  Prior to the reusable tumbler, Starbucks already offered a 10-cent discount to customers who brought in a reusable mug. The company's goal is reportedly to serve 5…

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This Saturday, the Coffee is on Patch

Join us in Richmond Heights for free coffee and giveaways.

Patch is the new kid in town in terms of providing community news and information. In order to spread the word about our offerings and meet the people who already know about us, our Clayton-Richmond Heights and University City editors will be at Schnucks in Richmond Heights on Saturday.  We are looking forward to meeting you!

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The Virtual Life

Plugged in: Saint Louis Bread Company is Home Office for Many

The first installment of this occasional column surveys the working conditions at Bread Co. branches, including University City.

If you frequent St. Louis Bread Company (known to those outside St. Louis as Panera) you can hardly fail to notice people working. Yes, the employees are busy serving up soups, sandwiches and scones. But I'm talking about the people hunched over their laptops and talking business over coffee and bagels.  “We see interviews taking place. There’s cubicle zombies that are looking to get out of their office and sit down with a cup of coffee," said area director Don Hutcheson. "It's a real big escape for lots of people." I am one of those people. Patch does not have offices, so I divide my time between a desk in my spare bedroom and tables at cafés. Bread Co. is ideal for lots of reasons. Plenty of locations around Metro St. Louis? Check. Clean…

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Jeff Brandt

6:47 pm on Friday, February 18, 2011

Hah. Interesting topic. I found an outlet at a small, two-person table that I like to use in the U City location. That's where I typed up and submitted my House Hunt articles for the last two weeks.   more ›