As I approached 468 Moreland Avenue I saw a very unique set up on the end of a strip of shops. This sign intrigued me before I even knew what it said because of the art on the side of the building as well as the outside seating to the side of this shop. Once I got close enough, I realized that it was my destination: Aurora Coffee Shop. 

When I first parked and got out of the car I saw this and decided to take the picture. I walked in and the shop is a long rectangle. There were many students sitting with their laptops, as well as a few older gentlemen discussing work things at the bar-style seating. Seeing the menu was one of the first things that caught my eye. It is written all on a chalk board and hung from the ceiling from chains. The second thing that caught my attention was the walls. They basically used the wall as a canvas. It was very unique and quite smart.

As I sat down to observe, the first thing I did was try to connect to WiFi. Now once I pulled up the page to connect, there was a paragraph on the side of the page. This paragraph had the “Aurora Coffee” trademark; below that was the history of the shop.

Aurora was founded in 1992 by a couple fugitives. It was purchased by a local record store in 2005. They are independent and very dedicated to their love of coffee.

The shop itself seems like if there were a lot of people in it, it would be very crowded and difficult to navigate through because the shop is a long rectangular shape. The seating is all black tables and red chairs, with a high top bar-style seating as well. Like I said previously, the walls are painted. The painting itself is blue predominately, which relaxes the mind. This shop has a really good vibe to it. hey are very friendly and the shop has amazing Chai lattes. It seems like a very diverse pollution comes in, so I feel as if it doesn’t necessarily target a specific crowd.

Digital Record #1:  Menu

This is my first digital record. The menu for Aurora Coffee. It is very unique and colorful. It is chalk boards with wooden frames, hung up by chains. They have a variety of drinks and even pastries. It is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door because of its size and color.

Digital Record #2: Main seating area

This is my second digital record. This is the main seating area and the front door. To the left of the picture there are steps leading up to the side door, which opens onto a patio of outside seating. This is mostly where everyone sits.

Digital Record #3: Painting

This is one of the many paintings throughout the shop. It intrigued me because of the uniqueness of it. The painting itself was too big to the get the whole thing, but I got what I could. It had a saying below it that said “We will all make it home”. I thought that this quote and painting were very interesting.

Digital Record #4: Bar/counter area

This the bar-style seating, as well as where all the magic happens. I like this set up because you can see them making the drinks but there is still that division. What is very weird about this coffee shop is that they do not put the lids on your drinks for you. I find that very convenient and different.

Digital Record #5: Painting

This is another part of the paintings on the wall. It also shows the back seating area which is where I was doing my observing. This picture really caught my attention because it seems very oriental, from China or Japan. The mountains in the background were also very precise and it looked beautiful.