If you’re a Peet’s regular who’s ready for a change of pace, Grand Rapids has plenty of other coffee venues available. In fact, there are eight coffee shops with outdoor seating located five miles or less from Calvin’s campus, so you can fully take advantage of the warm spring weather and protect yourself from COVID at the same time.

A couple miles from Calvin are Cafe de Miro in Breton Village and two Starbucks, one on Burton Street and the other in Gaslight Village. An immigrant family from Turkey operates Cafe de Miro; they offer traditional Mediterranean and European drinks such as Turkish coffee, Greek frappe and French press. However, they are not just a coffee shop; you can also grab a bite to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

The Starbucks on Burton Street is a convenient pit stop for Fresh Thyme shoppers. Its drive-through is usually busy. Gaslight Village Starbucks has a small patio overlooking Wealthy Street. It’s often quite crowded, so you may have to take your drink elsewhere. 

Located in Eastown about four miles away are That Early Bird and Outside Coffee Co. At That Early Bird, you can add flavors such as vanilla, caramel and hazelnut to your coffee. They also have a food menu which includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. 

Outside Coffee Co. is operated out of a food truck in a small courtyard. Try their unique ‘honey lavender’ or ‘Granny Banany’ lattes. In addition to coffee, they also provide drinks such as iced tea, kombucha and Arnold Palmers and desserts like ice cream and milkshakes. 

Just over five miles away are Sparrows Coffee in Eastown, Madcap Coffee on Fulton Street, and Haggerty’s down the beltline. Sparrows specialties include the ‘Major Major,’ a sweetened condensed milk and caramel latte, the ‘Lady Lazarus,’ a lavender syrup latte with honey, and the ‘Law of Cardamon,’ a cardamon syrup latte with honey. 

The Fulton Madcap is located in a renovated 1930s auto-body shop, where you can buy batch hot coffee, sparkling cascara and nitro-cold coffee. Besides their coffees, Haggerty’s makes a wide variety of bubble teas. They also have game nights every Thursday evening.

If you’re willing to drive more than five miles from Calvin’s campus, downtown Grand Rapids has even more coffee shop options. You could consider grabbing a cup of java from the Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Shop, Field and Fire Cafe or Ferris Coffee and Nut Co, among others.