A couple of coffee shops closed last year - Classics and another whose name eludes me. But we’ve also had a couple of recent openings here and/or in the surrounding blocks.
Dollop moved in when North opened, and Build Coffee recently opened at 6100 S. Blackstone (one of the first areas realtors started calling “Hyde Park South”). I believe Café Shira opened in 2015, though I could be wrong.
Tragically, C-Shop has closed. A perfectly nice Einstein Bros. was replaced by a Prêt à Manger that just opened a few days ago. They’ve thrown us a bone by preserving $1 shake Wednesdays, but the bagel aficionados on campus now face a Sophie’s choice between tasteless dining hall bagels and eating a balanced breakfast for once in our lives.
Coffee consumption, as this article shows, has remained alive and well through all the above changes. Whatever happens to the supply, the demand is there. When the sun clears the horizon and finds you still typing a mostly-coherent essay, even dining-hall coffee tastes good.