By Jose Alvarez | Staff Writer |
Augie’s Coffee House, located on 5th Street in Redlands, provides a warm family atmosphere with music, coffee, friends and events.
There are many events at Augie’s throughout the year, such as “Art in the Alleyway”, which according to the manager, Blair Smith, happens quarterly. This is where they set up paintings and other forms of art in the alleyway next to the coffee shop.
I originally went to Augie’s for “Jazz Night”, but I was disappointed when I found out that they no longer host it. In its place is another event called “Open Mic.”
“Open Mic” is a small event that takes place once a week, every Tuesday, at around 6:30 p.m.
It is in the same small alleyway where everything is set up. Equipment Manager Shalfi Edu sets up speakers, microphones and a guitar to a mixing board before the show begins.
Edu is a sophomore student at Riverside Community College and can play several instruments. He also kicked off the “Open Mic” night with some of his original songs.
The event had a slow start but after 15 minutes people began to show up.
Edu’s performance had a mellow sound to it, which he described as his own twist on Jazz.
The unique sound surprised the audience, especially when he performed elaborate riffs on the guitar.
Although it was a small stage and crowd, that didn’t seem to affect any of the event participants since they all seemed more focused and concentrated on their craft.
“I love playing for people even if it’s just a small crowd,” said Edu.
The coffee house puts out a good vibe and all the people seemed welcoming.
“It’s a good job. It’s fun and it’s satisfying and there is a lot of good people up here,” said the barista, Steven Delben.
Delben also mentioned that he feels happy to connect with the regulars at Augie’s a bit more than he could if he worked at a big coffee shop chain.
He later added, “It is much busier than four years ago. The business picked up when we started slow roasting the coffee.”
“I want to support the small businesses around town,” said Emma Martinez.
People of all ages hang out both inside and outside the coffee house.
I talked to teens and adults that both say it is a good place to spend some time. Everyone was open to conversation and willing to talk to anyone else.
It is a special atmosphere that reminds you of a homey environment.
The shop had merchandise such as shirts and mugs all around telling people to drink local coffee.
Considering how delicious the coffee tasted, I would recommend it to any coffee lover out there.
If you want to enjoy an authentic cup of coffee with positive vibes, then visit Augie’s, which is open from 6 – 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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