Teri VanHall, student of the MSU organic farming certificate program, studies Monday evening next to a mural at Gone Wired Cafe & Restaurant, 2021 E. Michigan Ave.
Reading and writing are two of the most important activities in the world for Colleen Davis, so when she opened her coffeehouse about two years ago in Lansing, she wanted to offer the academic community a place to meet.
“I love it when the balcony is full of students,” said Davis, co-owner of Gone Wired Cafe, a two-story coffee shop that offers customers an array of coffee and tea.
“The last time I sat (on the balcony), a linguist was studying to one side of me and a medical student was on the other. There’s so much academia,” she said.
Gone Wired Cafe, 2021 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing, includes a large seating area and numerous long tables that can accommodate a range of patrons .
“I thought that there was a need not just for a coffee shop but for a community space,” Davis said. “I love coffee. I love great espresso. I love tea and I love a place you can go and sink into a seat to read a book or write.”
“When it comes down to it, I created a place I could study,” she said.
As finals begin Monday for MSU students, Davis said people have been coming into the shop more frequently.
“A majority of the students are graduate students. With finals, we see a lot of our regular faces and some new ones,” Davis said.
Every day, Davis said she drinks one of the shop’s most popular coffee concoctions – the Grizzly Bear.
A combination of caramel, vanilla, espresso and skim milk, Davis said drinking the mixture is the best way to start the day.
Other popular drinks include seasonal favorites, such as the currently in-season eggnog latte and peppermint tea.
However, Davis said the atmosphere of the coffee shop is constantly changing.
“The atmosphere is a work in progress all the time,” she said. “It’s always in a state of rotation and improvement. We’re always in a state of evolution.”
Last fall, Davis said a kitchen was built inside the coffee shop so they could offer food to customers.
“We had quite a few of customers come to the shop for a long time, but they would get hungry,” Davis said. “While there are great restaurants in the area, we wanted to offer them food, too.”
Aside from offering food and beverages to customers, local artwork is displayed daily at the shop. An exhibit from the Mid Michigan Photography Club is currently on display at the coffee shop until right after the New Year.
“I don’t think there are enough places that welcome (local artwork) and if you want to be a world-class city, artists really need to be the focus,” Davis said. “Art is what makes a city truly great. We have enough bars. We have enough restaurants with televisions in them.”
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