What makes a coffee shop popular? Is it location — an easy stop alongside the well trekked path from Swem to the Sadler Center (and then back to Swem, until 2 a.m., probably)? Is it price — an option that won’t crack open our already strained pockets? Is it the quality of the coffee itself? Or could it even be the music, creating a particular ambiance (You can never go wrong with Sabrina.)? This past week, we slid on our detective coats and put Town Center Cold Pressed under the magnifying glass, talking to student customers to reveal what truly makes Lodge 1 a permanent focal point of the “hustle and bustle” culture on the College of William and Mary’s campus.
Located on the first floor of Sadler, this cafe offers coffee, pastries, bagels, smoothies, acai bowls and more. We began by asking students what they ordered and why. After an hour, it became clear that there was a loose consensus on the most sought after food item. Any guesses?
If you said those delicious circular sandwiches with a hole in the middle, you’d be correct! Daniel Kalish ’25, for example, purchased a lox bagel.
“I’ve gotten a lox bagel before, and I had a positive experience with lox bagels in general, so I hope this specific instance of a lox bagel will reach that,” he said.
Sam Bergeron ’28 explained the reasoning behind his go-to order.
“It’s the bagel. That’s my favorite breakfast food, and this is the only place on campus that has it,” Bergeron said.
Leah Feldman ’27, who ordered the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich along with a latte, just wants something reliable.
“I get them every week, and they just don’t do me dirty,” Feldman said.
Bagels were by far the most purchased food item, with most students viewing it as a dependable decision. But the second-place award goes to Cold Pressed’s selection of açai and smoothie bowls. Deanna Cena ’26, who ordered a dragonfruit smoothie bowl, is a veteran in this department.
“This is my go-to. I probably have this three times a week,” Cena said. “I usually don’t eat breakfast in the morning, so I get this after my first class of the day.”
Sometimes, all you need is a quick pick-me-up instead of a whole meal, and Cold Pressed more than has its bases covered. In regards to coffee, a simple iced coffee was the way to go for many sleep-deprived customers. Or, for those brave souls who needed a bit more oomph with no flavor or sweetener, a double espresso shot was also available.
“I went to the dining hall, and I already had two coffees there, so I didn’t want a full coffee,” Matthew Rosenthal ’25 said. “I just wanted a little bit more caffeine because I feel like the coffee in the dining hall is decaf, lowkey.”
As much as students love to plan their orders, there are also customers that enter Cold Pressed with a degree of spontaneity. In regards to quality of food and drink, no one is standing outside Sadler with a boombox over their head professing their undying love for the Morning Glory Smuice. However, all students remained satisfied despite some risk-taking, including Samantha Gaylor ’27, who purchased a green smoothie.
“I was worried it would taste like spinach, but it doesn’t. It tastes like mango,” she said. “I mean, there’s spinach in it, and you can’t taste it, so I would recommend it.”
Aside from laboring over the Grubhub app to craft the perfect Cold Pressed order, we wanted to get to the root of the appeal — what really motivates students to spend copious amounts of dining dollars in Lodge 1? After tugging at the stems a bit, we unearthed that its location in the center of campus means simple proximity is one of the largest draws.
“It feels a little overpriced, but it’s the convenience, you know. You’re already in Sadler, you don’t want to go up to the dining hall, so that’s what you’re paying for,” Kalish said.
Sadie McMahon ’27 agrees that the prices are a bit steep. Most customers agree that the meal plan pillow is soft enough to cushion the sting of the high prices.
“It’s definitely on the more expensive side, but I don’t pay attention to that as much when I’m using my dining dollars,” McMahon said.
More than the quality of the food and drink comes into play for students choosing where to grab their coffee. For Brooke Drozdowski ’27, the music is one of the best parts of Cold Pressed.
“I love the music. I feel like they always have fire music tastes on,” she said. “Like yesterday, I think they have some Hozier playing. And then right now, I don’t know exactly what this is, but I feel like it really adds to the atmosphere.”
After spending two hours talking to student customers, it’s clear that Cold Pressed isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Its convenient location, selection of bagels and the ability to use dining dollars make it a staple on the College’s campus. All in all, Cold Pressed may not deserve a Michelin Star, but it still receives the stamp of approval from most students.
