Minuti Coffee: Just a Minute Away from A&M
It’s Saturday morning, everyone is still asleep from a night out of partying or going to Texas Grand Slam Prelims, and a new coffee shop just opened up just down the road from A&M. The shop is ‘Minuti Coffee’ and they are wonderful! If you need a break from Sweet Eugene’s, Lupa’s, or Mugwall’s and are tired of your daily Starbucks ritual, you’re in luck!
Minuti is an Italian-based coffee shop, but they also make their own chocolates and balsamic vinegar. All of their coffee beans are roasted and brought in directly from Modena, Italy. Owned by Ardavan Motamedi, the company originally started in Houston and is expanding their reach; while most of the locations are confined to the Houston-area, this is College Station’s first Minuti Coffee. The atmosphere is different that Sweet Eugene’s or Mugwalls--and I mean that in a good way! Minuti adds its own personality to the local coffee community in Bryan-College Station.
Mr. Motamedi originally got his start in the coffee business through his family, which he still still carries out to this day. Now that they’ve been in this business for a while, they distribute their products to over 25 different countries. However, the U.S. is the only country that has retail locations, and even with their retail locations, Texas is the only state that can claim to have such a wonderful coffee shop.
Minuti Coffee is a sister-shop of Momenti Coffee and the idea behind the name is that Mr. Motamedi wants people to spend a minute drinking their coffee, not just a moment. In addition, Motamedi aims to utilize this coffee shop as a social space for friends to gather and enjoy time with each other. An open floorplan, comforting decor, and friendly employees is a great way Minuti Coffee will help to facilitate Motamedi’s wish.
Design-wise, the owner went with a European-designer. Motamedi picked the setup of the shop to combine European-look with American style, fully setting the atmosphere for his new shop. The soft glow of table lamps atop of tables with modern bar stools, a beautiful espresso machine in the corner, plenty of natural light, and pops of color create the wonderful atmosphere that is present in College Station’s newest coffee shop.
In regards to the actual coffee itself, it was delicious! I ordered a vanilla soy latte and I’m pretty sure it was one of the best lattes I’ve ever had. The soy milk was perfectly steamed and flawlessly balanced with the volume of espresso. The foam was light & airy and complemented the sweet, caffeine-laden drink I was sipping in a corner table.
Food is also readily available here. They have muffins, scones, fruit, and sandwiches, among other items. While I didn’t try any, it sure did look delicious and many others picked up something to eat while I was there.
After my experience today, I certainly will be stopping back by and picking up another soy latte. Whether it’s for a study session or just hanging out with friends, Minuti Coffee would be a great option for you. At Minuti you can say hello, grab a cup o’ joe, and leave feeling like you’ve had a delightful experience to get your day started.
-Alex Cowan
All photos taken by Alex.