Common Grounds
2171 Cowell Blvd. Davis, CA Get Directions
Contact: 530-792-1781
WWW.COMMONGROUNDSDAVIS.COM
IG @cg.davis.coffee
Facebook
Date Visited: October 18, 2019
This is a coffee shop I can get behind and so can 7,000 other people. Common Grounds has had a handful of battles but I can assure you, It's here to stay. Who are they you ask? In 2013, the landlord of the business park decided to deny Common Grounds from renewing their spot to allow a Starbucks drive-thru to take its place. As word spread, the community became outraged. Something had to be done. Over 7,000 people signed a petition to keep Common Grounds over the well known Starbucks. Then the Mayor of Davis and a Senator stepped in and saved the day. It's been thriving ever since, 16 years strong.
Not to mention, it's run by the sweetest people, Son Chong and Michelle Kim. They have done a great job making the shop spotless, delightful, and full of coffee! Tons of coffee options, teas, smoothie, frappes, and much more. Their most popular drink right now is the lavender vanilla latte, and the special is the Aztec Mocha-a delicious twist on the traditional mocha with spiced Mexican chocolate. They sounded delicious but I went with a good 'ole black coffee.
I ended up going here dozens of times while in Davis and began to get to know the baristas and the owner, Michelle, while I was there. They all treated me with the same friendliness, even before finding out what I was doing with Find That Coffee. In addition to great drinks and service, they also serve a variety of tasty sandwiches and baked goods. I tried a ton of their pastries while getting caught up on my coffee articles. After speaking with Michelle I came to learn that Common Grounds is a huge supporter of the cycling community. They have hung tons of local jerseys up and have become a meeting ground for bike clubs. A common ground if you will. The Davis bike club meets here every Wednesday night and the Woodland bike club meets here on Fridays. And, you can't beat it for studying as well, tons of seating, great music, and day-old pastries were discounted! I enjoyed my time here and I will be back again and again!
Nothing gets me more excited about my cross-country adventure than discovering locals supporting locals. Small coffee shops like this are fully supported by the community and it’s amazing to see them give back in everything they do. Whether it’s their friendly attitudes, the way we all get to know each others lives, or our drinks made with care. This is what I search for, this is one of the many foundations of Find That Coffee.
The bathroom gets a 10/10 in my opinion. Always clean, and there were two so I never had to wait. Toilet paper, soap, and paper towels always stocked. They took pride in keeping this bathroom clean and smelling good.