Which Local Café is Best for RVC Students?

As the semester comes to an end, students are cramming in study-time for finals and feeling the stress.

As I sit in a café, Christmas music attacking my ears while I stare at my math final, I decided to do some research. Rockford has many small businesses, that’s part of its weird charm. These small businesses really embrace this town and have a lot of pride in it. Downtown, almost every single shop is a small business and they’re all unique. Lucky for us RVC students, there are a surplus of coffee shops to sit in and work. I got to thinking about these cafes and this is where my research began.

I frequent Velvet Robot, Rockford Roasting Co., and Meg’s Daily Grind often. They’ve all got different special lattes, décor, and overall ambiance to them. However, all three has the standard drinks on their menus, e.g., lattes, americanos, brewed coffee. The owners or regular baristas are all different and the experience for a student is too.

As an RVC student and coffee-drinker, I decided I would give my opinion on which café is best for a student and why. Let’s begin with Meg’s Daily Grind.

In the spirit of honest journalism, I will divulge something important in relation to this article. I work at Meg’s, but any positive or negative bias will be withheld. There are two locations for Meg’s Daily Grind: one on Perryville and one on N Alpine. As I’m best acquainted with the one on N Alpine that location is what I will discuss.

The store décor is unlike Rockford Roasting Co. and Velvet Robot, it is seemingly much more catered to an adult customer. There are sandwiches, pastries, and parfaits which are good brain-fuel for a student. It is currently heavily decorated for Christmas and there are plenty of spots to sit and work.

To compare pricing, I will use a 12 oz mocha which is generally a popular drink. At Meg’s, this will cost you 4.19 without tax. When you go to sit there is a cozy fireplace going and they are open until 5 pm on weekdays and 3 pm on weekends.

Overall, a nice place to get some homework done.

Let’s move onto Velvet Robot.

They also have two locations: one on Madison St and the other on S Alpine. Again, as I’m more familiar with the first spot, so I will be reviewing the Madison St location. When you walk into VR, you are greeted with energetic colors. Their décor is super cool and engaging. They have a whole menu of breakfast/lunch foods, dozens of specialty drinks, and good seating available. They also hang art up from local artists for sale!

A 12 oz mocha at Velvet Robot costs 4.00 without tax and they are open until 4 pm on weekdays, 3 pm on weekends. Good vibes all around.

Lastly, Rockford Roasting Co.

Rockford Roasting Co. has one location on N Main St and another on the first floor of the Embassy Suites downtown. We’re going to talk about the N Main location. As you walk in, you are greeted with simple décor. Unlike Velvet Robot and Meg’s, the colors are bright and clear. Lots of white, tan, and black.

There is seating on the first level, but if you walk up the stairs there is much more room. From the windows on the second floor, you get a nice view of downtown. Like Velvet Robot, they sell local art and display it all throughout the shop. They’re open until 6 pm on weekdays, 2 pm on weekends. A 12 oz mocha will run you up 4.30 without tax.

Now that I’ve summarized the experience at each café, I will tell you which one is the best for RVC students and why.

While Meg’s has the most holiday spirit and Velvet Robot is the trendiest, Rockford Roasting Co. is the best spot for students. First off, it is open latest on weekdays, and I find that to be its best attribute. Secondly, it has the most room to spread out, which is both COVID and studying friendly. Thirdly, while it may be the most expensive of the three, they have a happy hour deal in the afternoon!

Wishing you smooth finals and espresso!