Part of being a student at the College of William and Mary is being hit with a significant realization. Depending on how hefty your workload is, it may happen in your second semester, or it may take a whole year. Regardless, the time will eventually come when you can’t help but reflect on just how small the walkable part of Williamsburg really is.
Most of us technically know what we signed up for when we accepted our admissions offers, but some people may agree with me that it is another feeling entirely when you truly believe you have eaten at every affordable restaurant, seen every accessible attraction and visited every coffee shop within a two-mile radius of campus.
Well, I had been wrangling with the restlessness that comes with such a predicament, walking forlornly past Confusion Corner, when I was forced to do a double-take on South Boundary Street. I had to look twice, because it seemed as if my prayers had been answered. At last, something new appeared. Ladies and gentlemen, that something new turned out to be Eleva Coffee Lounge.
With some research, it appeared Eleva was started as a coffee brand by a man named Emilio Baltodano before its chain of in-person lounges were launched. The first location opened in Brooklyn four years ago, the second recently sprouted up in Cairo, Egypt, and along with the Colonial Williamsburg location, a new headquarters will open in our very own New Town in a couple of weeks as well.
Intrigued, I took my friend there a few days later. The first thing I noticed was that the ambience was absolutely on-point. That is, the venue is the perfect combination of comfy and sophisticated. It is a small yet well-planned space, with classical music playing on the speakers, elegant floral table decorations and furniture featuring warm tones of beige, brown and white. To top it all off, they use real, ceramic and glass cups for dine-in customers, which will earn any business brownie points from me.
The second thing I noticed was that there were only two baristas behind the bar, giving the place an even more personalized, boutique-like feel. When I went back a half a week later, the same two guys were there again, too.
The third thing I noticed was, of course, the menu. They offer the standard hot matcha, chai and classic latte trio, as well as a variety of herbal and black whole leaf teas, served either hot or iced. The espresso bar is also stocked with your usual options, and you can make your drink a frappe, too. For those of us who are craving a little bit of sweetness, there are flavored syrups for the drinks, hot chocolate and a selection of pastries.
Like any cash-strapped college student, I also noticed the prices. To my pleasant surprise, these were actually at around the same range as what you can find at either Column 15 or Town Center Cold Pressed. I was impressed, given not only the fancy atmosphere of the place, but also the fact that my lavender latte was one of the smoothest I’ve had over my long tenure as a nine-year coffee drinker.
Not to mention, Eleva also offers students a 15% discount, and it takes the College’s Express dollars. Sue Hassan, who along with her husband owns both this location and the one in New Town, mentioned that this was a purposeful choice.
“Obviously, being right across the street from the College was important for us to give back and partner with the school,” Hassan said.
Hassan further explained that she and her husband are motivated by the goal of fostering a calm, convivial space for all.
“When we travel the world, we love to sit down and relax and enjoy a cup of coffee and talk about our experiences,” Hassan said. “In today’s world, it’s so busy and people forget to take a time out. We are looking to create the atmosphere here where you feel chill and you just come and take a break from life.”
Hassan shared that what sets Eleva apart from other coffee shops in town is its farm-to-cup business model. The coffee beans are currently taken from Nicaragua, Guatemala and Ecuador to a roaster in Brooklyn, before they are flown directly down to Williamsburg. Soon enough, the roasting will also be completed here. On a related note, Hassan pointed out that a sizable challenge in setting up shop here was ensuring the quality of the most important ingredient, which would likely come as a surprise to the uninitiated.
“The biggest piece of coffee is water, believe it or not, so having the water filtered at a certain level is most important so that is probably our biggest challenge,” Hassan said.
Hassan emphasized that the coffee lounge caters to everyone, including students, professors, tourists and Williamsburg locals. In regards to the last group, she noted that her team takes special care to treat them like family.
“Of course, we love our locals, because we love the person who wants to come in to enjoy a cup of coffee,” Hassan said. “We know who they are, we have their names in the system, we greet them, we have their coffee for them.”
Hassan added that she is proud to call her business woman-owned. It is also listed as LGBTQIA+ friendly on Google Maps, which reflects the cafe’s goal of welcoming everyone in for a cup.
“I think that women are definitely coming into power. We like to buy from women-owned companies, too,” Hassan said. “My husband and I are very open to all diversities, of course. We have our own challenges, because we are interracial ourselves.”
Overall, Hassan encourages everyone at the College and beyond to check out the brand new spot.
“I just want to make sure people know that this is the family-friendly place to come, whether they want to study or relax or just have a good conversation with your phone down, if you want to, and talk to people again,” Hassan said.
Indeed, whether you want to stop by to rest from exploring Colonial Williamsburg, work on homework or even join head barista Ted at Williamsburg’s first community Chess Club, I would recommend Eleva Coffee Lounge as an excellent place to visit.
