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Printer-Friendly ModeThe Magic Bean
February 11, 2008 —
What makes a good coffee shop?
Good coffee. Check. An inviting atmosphere. Check. But there is something else, more aesthetic: the environment itself needs to exude a sort of serenity. Magic Bean Cafe did just that.
It's located at 5789 State Street in Saginaw, across from Menard's. The cafe is rather spacious, the employees are very friendly and two local photographers have their work displayed throughout it, one of the cafe's highlights.
"Anyone that is looking to display their artwork can contact me through our Web site," Manager Christi Bauman said. "We're booked through March right now."
She says that the cafe is very open to displaying student artwork. Bands play for tips, and the owners encourage bands to contact them through their Web site as well, as they want to have live music more often. They are also hoping to hold poetry nights a couple of times a month.
There's also a wireless Internet connection and a conference room that holds up to 16 people.
It also serves more than just coffee, with wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods, gourmet candies and Gelato, a European-style ice cream.
"I don't know of any other coffee shop around here that has Gelato," Bauman said.
The only downfall I found were the prices. While everything was delicious, a half wrap with potato salad, a double mocha and a small Gelato cost me more than $10, and that was with 10 percent off, which the cafe offers to students who show a student ID.
SVSU sophomore Sara Bean, a nursing major, was testing the cafe out at the same time I was. Though she likes Crumbs Cafe in Saginaw a lot, Magic Bean still impressed her.
"There's a lot of space, and I like the atmosphere."