The Orion opinion staff collected data from five Chico coffee shops and rated them on a five-point scale. Each grade considered general wait time, ambiance, staff friendliness, quality and price.

Common Grounds

Rating: 1

If you’re looking for a coffee shop that will make you late to class and give you a drink that isn’t remotely close to what you ordered, check out Common Grounds located inside the Bell Memorial Union.

The 15-minute wait I encountered was because other people were being served first, despite arriving after me. A complaint about this led to an additional 10-minute wait.

After finally receiving the drink I had ordered, I noticed it was made incorrectly, the extra caramel I had paid for was missing and the drink was dominated by a mountain of whipped cream.

The $5.25 cost for a small White Chocolate Javeeva did not match the taste of the drink. Rather than being late for class, try getting your daily dose of caffeine elsewhere.

Upper Crust Bakery

Rating: 3.5

Fighting for a space in Upper Crust Bakery is a common trend, as the small coffee shop and bakery has limited room for its customers.

The interior looked clean and had great lighting and music. The staff was quick and efficient, but I had to move outside to enjoy my large in-house iced coffee.

The drink was well made and cost $3, and the wait time was around five minutes. The outside dining area offered a nice place to sit down and relax.

Upper Crust Bakery is close enough to campus for students to stop at during a 15-minute break, and the fast service will assure a timely arrival to class.

Selvester’s Cafe-by-the-Creek

Rating: 4

Along with well-made coffee, Selvester’s also offers a variety of tea. Both can be on the more pricey side with each costing around $6 for a medium size.

This coffee shop is a perfect place for students to hang out, because of its brightly colored interior, vast seating space and welcoming staff. Despite overflowing with orders, the baristas were friendly and able to serve drinks in order without messing them up.

The variety of the drinks they serve and ambiance that is directed toward students makes Selvester’s an ideal spot for Chico State students who have extra cash to spend.

The Naked Lounge

Rating: 4.5

The shop features a diverse menu of beverages, ranging from Mexican hot chocolate to Chico Chai.

The Naked Lounge was recently revamped. The menu now includes gluten-free baked goods and more cold brew coffee options. The shop has a good atmosphere for getting work done, reading a book or just hanging out with friends.

During my visit, they forgot about my order which made the wait longer than expected. However, workers were friendly and made up for the mistake.

The prices were about the same some would pay at Starbucks or Dutch Bros.

Great Northern Coffee

Rating: 5

The train-themed coffeehouse offers a relaxed, sit-down environment. Great Northern coffee shop has the best atmosphere of all the coffee shops visited. Instead of solely catering to students who are rushing to class, you can catch members of the community admiring the local art that lines the walls.

The appearance is not the only thing that draws the residents of Chico to the coffee shop, but also the reasonably priced drinks and friendly staff. The $4.52 small iced vanilla latte ordered during my visit was ready within five minutes, even though they had multiple orders to complete.

Although the coffee shop is located a couple blocks away from campus, the brisk walk to Great Northern between classes is more rewarding than settling for other caffeine supplements.

The Orion opinion staff can be reached at [email protected] or @TheOrion_News on Twitter.