Coffee Shop Review: The Beanery

Kidman Ip

When deciding which coffee place to review, Verbatim staff originally wanted to go to Dripped + Draped. They are a Black-owned business located in Benson where the owners, Vanelle Littrell and Vandra Caldwell, want their customers to feel empowered. After doing more research, we were saddened to hear that they recently closed on August 30th. As stated on their website, “Unfortunately, due to the financial stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dripped +Draped had to close its doors in September of 2021. However, owners Vanelle and Vandra have plans to maintain the Dripped + Draped mission through community and collaboration for boss babes of all backgrounds.”

The setup for straws, napkins, and sugar packets for your drink was very rustic. It was organized and easy to find anything you needed.

Because Dripped + Draped closed, Verbatim staff needed to find another coffee place to review. During AP Statistics, Verbatim staff (Kidman, Kate, and Calvin) asked Mr.Williams what were some of his favorite coffee shops. He recommended The Beanery. The Beanery is a mom-and-pop shop, and they have three locations: Gretna, Ashland, and Papillion. The owners’ goal is to make everyone feel like a regular. Over the weekend, Verbatim staff went to The Beanery in Gretna. We tried various items from the menu and wanted to give an honest review. We also interviewed Ellie Schmidt, an employee, to get insight into what it is like to work there. Our thoughts on the items we sampled are below.

Kidman: I got The Beanery Mocha. It’s expresso and hot milk with a white chocolate caramel sauce. The first few sips were really good. However, it was insanely sweet. After a while, the sweetness from the coffee and the caramel drizzle became overwhelming. I didn’t think their coffee was astounding, but I only drank The Beanery Mocha. I recommend The Beanery with reservations. 

Calvin: When thinking about which smoothie I would enjoy the most, I was stuck between peach or mango. Ultimately, I chose the mango smoothie which was the right choice. At first glance it was questionable, but after taking the first sip, there was no question. If you are a fan of mangoes, or the flavor of mangoes, or smoothies, then I highly recommend it if you are in the area. I highly recommend The Beanery.   

 

Kate: I ordered the chocolate chip muffin at The Beanery. For a small price, you get a rather large muffin with many chocolate chips in it. The sweetness was very apparent which I found appetizing. I would put the muffin from The Beanery above other coffee shop muffins such as Starbucks because the dough was very soft and the muffin was considerably sweeter. I highly recommend The Beanery.  

The main area was similar to a living room. It was very clean and cozy. The couch allowed a more comfortable and casual place for customers to relax and eat/drink in the shop.

Although it was not stated in the video, Ellie mentioned how taking time off is easy and the managers are understanding. The owners understand that their workers are also students and try to accommodate their schedules. Overall, the staff was friendly and willing to answer our questions. The menu had a generous selection of items. If you ever need a coffee recommendation, you should definitely ask Mr. Williams.