It’s the overly-chic hangout where Lisa Kudrow from “Friends” strums her acoustic guitar and sings “Smelly Cat.” It’s the cheesy joint on Kerouac Street where Mike Myers performs his wannabe beat poetry in “So I Married an Axe Murderer.” It’s where Ernest Hemingway sat with his fellow expatriates and dreamed up eloquent novels that still make the top 10 on English professors’ recommended literature lists.

It’s the coffee shop.

And pop culture is rife with illustrations.

It was over a cup o’ joe that Brad Pitt won Claire Forlani’s heart in “Meet Joe Black.” Even Dr. Evil has a Starbucks in his space station in “Austin Powers: They Spy Who Shagged Me.” More recently, Audrey Tautou’s character in “Amelie” is employed at a quaint French coffee shop.

Not only are coffee shops abundant in movies and TV shows, they also seem to have a strong presence in college towns such as Ames.

“People don’t go out for a drink anymore, they go out for coffee for a first date,” says Lisa Hermsen, temporary instructor in English, who teaches a course dealing with analysis of popular culture .

The Creative Side of Coffee

Whether you’re preferential to the black brew or not, you’ll probably admit coffee shops traditionally have a sort of culture surrounding them. But is this culture a result of the media – the aforementioned TV shows, books and movies – or does the media merely reflect a culture that already exists?

Hermsen says the two influence each other; coffee shops may already have an identifiable culture, but, like anything, when the media gets ahold of them and portrays them in a certain light, they may change to fit the media’s image.

That image calls to mind an intellectual-type sitting and studying or a community coming together to share ideas. They are romantic and cozy; the conversation is always buzzing, or so the stereotype goes, she says.

“They have been known abroad and in the states [as places] where intellectuals can talk about their work, the politics of the day and any social events,” she says.

Within the broad umbrella of coffee shop culture lie many different sub-cultures, including the chic upscale, the artsy or intellectual and the anti-coffee shop, Hermsen explains. Although Ames isn’t a big enough city to represent all these types, it does host a few.

One example of an upscale coffee house is Central Perk on the TV show “Friends.” Customers at this sort of establishment are sophisticated people who buy expensive beans to take home and brew, she says, and Caf‚ Diem is Ames’ equivalent.

She lists the Boheme as a typical artsy coffee shop.

The anti-coffee shop serves only coffee. No flavor-laden, frou-frou, foamy excuses for coffee. No cappuccino. No latte. No mocha. Just coffee that’s black and hot. Many of these shops permit smoking, so patrons can simply drink coffee, smoke and talk, she says.

While these descriptions embody a range of coffee houses, many Ames shops strive to maintain an unique identity.

“The caf‚ is a reflection of the owner or manager’s philosophy,” says Steve Burgason, owner of Burgie’s Espresso Caf‚, 110 Airport Rd.

This tends to create an environment where people can share their views, he continues. For college students in particular, it is a great place to study and talk, a bar-type without the alcohol.

“[The coffee shop] is an alternative to the bar scene,” he says.

“It’s cheap entertainment,” says Bill Malone, owner of Caf‚ Diem, 323 Main St.

For example, he explains, a guy who brings a girl to a movie can drop around $20 on tickets, pop and snacks. But a date at a coffee house will set him back only a couple of dollars. Plus, the two can enjoy a stimulating conversation for a few hours.

“The [coffee shop] culture is [about] wanting to interact with people,” he adds.

Regular Joes

Every coffee shop has its own set of regulars that seem to think of it as their second home.

“A coffee shop gives me a quiet place to go,” says Sara Jones, junior in psychology.

A frequent patron of Santa Fe Espresso, 116 Welch Ave., and Caf‚ Diem, 323 Main St., Jones likes the atmosphere of coffee houses. Big tables to spread work out on and light background music help to keep her going. She claims it’s easier to stay focused and study without roommates around.

Anna Watson, senior in elementary education, likes to study, work on projects and hang out with friends while at coffee shops. She goes a couple of times a week and has been a regular since her freshman year.

“I like to go to coffee shops to read and visit with people,” she says.

Watson says her favorite coffee shops are the ones that feature live music, especially jazz.

“It gives you energy,” she says.

Confessions of Coffee Haters

Not everyone believes culture can be found in a cup, however.

“Actual black coffee tastes like dirt,” says Solomon Hughes, junior in liberal arts and sciences. “It’s just a really bad idea that never went away.”

Although Hughes, who has visited several Ames coffee establishments, likes the “cheerful” atmosphere they project, he finds many of the patrons themselves “annoying.”

“They act so refined; they piss me off,” Hughes says. “I hate the idea that coffee is associated with sophistication.”

He says he can understand why there are coffee houses in bigger cities “because they are filled with intellectuals, but around here they have psuedo-intellectuals.

“If you’re going to sit down and talk about stuff, Burger King is as good as any,” Hughes says.

“I don’t think there’s any way that coffee makes people interesting and intellectual,” he continues. “I don’t see that it has that power.”

For the most part, Ben Carpenter, junior in accounting, agrees.

He claims the media portrays coffee houses as “cool,” as if “that’s what people are supposed to be doing.”

Some coffee shop aficionados, he suspects, just “do it to look good, like they’re more advanced.”

“I don’t think the place you hang out has anything to do with what you know or what kind of person you are,” Carpenter adds.

In addition, he says, the coffee available in stores doesn’t taste good, while the coffee at caf‚s is “five bucks a shot.”

“It’s like hot tea that’s way too strong,” he says.

Carpenter, too, avoids coffee shops, and describes his previous experiences at such establishments as “bad.”

The particular place he visited was “packed and uncomfortable,” he says.

“I don’t see how they can get studying done if that’s what they’re there for,” Carpenter says.

Regardless of whether you’d rather guzzle coffee by the gallon or dump it down the drain, Ames coffee shops offer more than just a cup of beans. More and more frequently, they provide everything from books and magazines to board games and cards to live music and dancing in hopes of attracting a diverse crowd. And although hard-line coffee haters may not be won over any time soon, Ames’ coffee shop culture continues to filter its own robust blend of steady customers.

Boheme Bistro, est. 1998

2900 West St.

296-4674

hours: Daily

4:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Drinks: 10 oz. coffee: $1.25; 12 oz. cappuccino: $3.25; 12 oz. hot chocolate: $2; 12 oz. espresso: $2.25

food: pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches, cheesecakes, appetizers

extras: Monday: Motown, Tuesday: slam poetry, every other Wednesday: live bands, Thursday: progressive house music, Friday and Saturday: World Beat, Sunday: open mic, cards, chess, board games, free internet access, various alternative/campus publications

Burgie’s Espresso Caf‚ , est. 1994

110 Airport Rd., 233-9004

hours: Sun. – Thurs.: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.;

Fri. – Sat.: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.

20 oz. coffee: $1.89; 20 oz. cappuccino: $3.77; 20 oz. hot chocolate: $2.58; 2 oz. espresso: $2.41

food: cookies, pastries, muffins, rolls, soups, sandwiches, candies, smoothies, malts, cheesecakes, ice cream

extras: Rod Biensen plays Dixieland/ ragtime jazz, other jazz musicians, magazines, newspapers, drive-up window, Bible study groups, Christian-based and motivational books

Caf‚ Escape, est. 2001

2402 Lincoln Way 268-9781

hours: Sun. – Thurs.: 5 p.m. – midnight;

Fri.: 5 p.m. – 3 a.m.; Sat.: 6 p.m. – 3 a.m.

13 oz. coffee: $2; 13 oz. cappuccino: $3.50; 16 oz. hot chocolate: $2.50; 13 oz. espresso: $2

food: chicken/beef grill dishes, rice, crab/ fruit rangoon, cheesecake, tiramasu, shakes

extras: Friday nights from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m.: DJ for light jazz and house music, board games, nonsmoking environment, personal waitering by owners, bathroom walls made of dry-erase tiles for writing quotes

Caf‚ Diem , est. 2000

323 Main St., 956-3556

hours: Mon. – Sat.: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sun.: noon – 8 p.m.

16 oz. coffee: $2; 16 oz. cappuccino: $3; 16 oz. hot chocolate: $2.25;

16 oz. espresso: $2

food: sandwiches, cheesecakes, soups, salads, cookies, fruit, muffins

extras: Every other Thursday: tango, weekends: acoustic music and live bands, ISU student art displayed,

children’s and adult games,

cards, books, magazines

Gregory’s Coffee House , est. 1996

421 S. Duff Ave., 233-8349

hours: Mon. – Fri.: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.;

Sat. – Sun.: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.

12 oz. coffee: $1.75; 16 oz. cappuccino: $2.90; 12 oz. hot chocolate: $1.95; 8 oz. espresso: $1.85

food: rolls, pastries, muffins, scones, sandwiches, tiramasu, pastas, bagels, soups

extras: live music (no regular schedule), children’s games, board games, reference books, novels, magazines, newspapers

Caf‚ Lovish , est. 1979

2512 Lincoln Way 292-7161

hours: Daily 11 a.m. – midnight

coffee: $0.75; cappuccino: $2.75;

hot chocolate: $1.50; espresso: $1.95

food: wide variety of Mexican, Arabian, French, Spanish and vegetarian dishes, can custom-make to fit customer’s taste,

Sundays at 4 p.m.: Jamaican buffet

extras: catering, private parties/dinners, salsa/merengue lessons, Spanish karaoke, Spanish TV, language instruction in Spanish, French, English, Friday and Saturday after

10 p.m.: Latin dancing

Caf‚ Santa Fe (pictured) and

Santa Fe Espresso, est. 1996

212 Main St., 663-9905

and 116 Welch Ave., 268-1605

hours: Sun. – Fri.: 7 a.m. – midnight;

Sat.: 7 a.m. – 2 a.m.

16 oz. coffee: $1.70; 16 oz. cappuccino: $2.75; 16 oz. hot chocolate: $2.10; 3 oz. espresso: $2.10

food: food served at Welch Ave. location

extras: coffee beans roasted on location and renewed every four days

Maintenance Shop , est. 1974

ground floor, ISU Memorial Union

294-2758

hours: Mon. – Fri.: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.;

live shows Sat. and Sun.

coffee: $0.75; 12 oz. cappuccino: $2;

hot chocolate: $1; standard shot-sized espresso: $1.25

food: salads, sandwiches, soups, nachos, hot dogs, breadsticks, potato chips

extras: Weekends and some weekdays: live music, comedy and theatre, always all-ages, reduced rates on entertainment tickets for students at any Iowa college, board games during the day

Roberts Bros., est. 1992

in North Grand Mall,

2801 Grand Ave. 232-8894

hours: Mon. – Sat.: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sun.: noon – 5 p.m.

20 oz. coffee: $2.33; 20 oz. cappuccino: $4.23; 20 oz. hot chocolate: $2.73; 4 oz. espresso: $3.17

food: cookies, scotcharoos, biscotti, variety of chocolates

Taraccino Coffee, est. 1996

539 Lincoln Way 232-7606

hours: Mon. – Thurs.: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri.: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat.: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sun.: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

16 oz. coffee: $1.45; 16 oz. cappuccino: $2.85; 16 oz. hot chocolate: $2.10; 16 oz. espresso: $1.70

food: muffins, smoothies, scones, cookies, bars, cheesecakes

extras: One Thursday each month: live acoustic music, selling and displaying of photography by a local photographer, magazines, newspapers, accessories such as mugs, pots, tea strainers, t-shirts for sale

Stomping Grounds , est. 1994

303 Welch Ave. 292-5258

hours: Mon. – Fri.: 7 a.m. – midnight; Sat.: 8 a.m. – midnight; Sun.: 9 a.m. – midnight

16 oz. coffee: $1.60; 16 oz. cappuccino: $2.65; 16 oz. hot chocolate: $2.05; 4 oz. espresso: $1.60

food: fruits, scones, biscotti, carrot and chocolate cakes, tiramasu, cheesecakes, chocolate-covered espresso beans

extras: art from local artists, Sunday mornings: live local music, Italian-style coffee bar where beans are ground for each individual cup, specialized coffee beans kept for no longer than a week, nonsmoking environment

Caf‚ Beaudelaire , est. 1993

2504 Lincoln Way.

292-7429

hours: Mon.: 5 p.m. – 12:30 a.m./close,

Tues. – Wed.: 8:30 a.m. –

1 a.m./close,

Thurs.: 8:30 a.m. – 2 a.m., Fri. – Sat.: 8:30 a.m. – 2 a.m., Sun.: 8 a.m. – 2 a.m

8 – 10 oz. coffee: $1; 6 oz. cappuccino: $1.95; 8 – 10 oz. hot chocolate: $1.50; 3 oz. espresso: $1.75

food: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, pizza, spaghetti,

salads, soup, cheesecake, rolls

extras: only 21-year-olds admitted after 10 p.m. when bar opens, outdoor tables in warm months, wide variety of cocktail drinks, beers and wines