Every Sunday morning, Lee McKinley ’27 is faced with a decision: Which coffee shop fits the day? Little Seed Coffee Roasters draws her in with homemade syrups and a quiet downstairs perfect for focus. Royal Oak Coffee tempts with inventive flavors and idiosyncratic options, such rose-water drinks. Haymaker Bun Company wins when her friends want food, maybe a James Beard Award-nominated bun, to go with their caffeine fix.
“On days where we have to do a lot of studying or homework, we try to make it more fun and go,” McKinley said of the weekend ritual.
Each of Middlebury’s coffee spots has its own rhythm, serving different parts of the college community for different needs.
At Little Seed, students have found a cozy spot that works as both a hangout and study space.
“The atmosphere is really nice for doing work because they have a downstairs area that’s quiet,” McKinley said. “But upstairs, you can sit with friends and talk. It’s not overwhelmingly loud.”
Her go-to orders change with the season.
“If I’m getting iced coffee, I get the iced salted vanilla — it’s really good. And if I’m getting a hot drink, I get the orange cocoa. You have to try it,” McKinley said.
What sets Little Seed apart, according to McKinley, is the care that goes into every cup, citing their homemade syrups and high quality coffee with thoughtful flavor combinations.
Situated slightly outside of downtown Middlebury’s center, Royal Oak Coffee has built a loyal following. Tucked near Fire & Ice, the shop attracts regulars who make intentional trips, rather than stumble in by chance.
“We were trying not to be too niche,” co-owner Matthew Delia-Lobo said. “It was just me and my wife. People just want something good.”
After 17 years in the coffee business and more than six years spent at this location, Delia-Lobo has built his shop around experimentation.
An example of this trial and error approach is its rosewater and molasses blend, inspired by Middle Eastern flavors.
“It’s from anywhere from Morocco to Syria,” Delia-Lobo explained. “It’s cool because people from those places don’t expect it.”
Validation from people from the same places as his coffee matters to Delia-Lobo.
“It’s nerve-wracking, though,” he said. “Someone will be like, ‘Hold on, I’m from Syria,’ and I’m like, ‘Please tell me I did this right.’”
Royal Oak’s customer base runs deep after years in town. Delia-Lobo shared that he knows what 90% of customers are going to order after they enter the shop.
Delia-Lobo also explained how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped the shop’s role. There were times when Royal Oak would be the setting of people’s only interactions in a day, acting as a lifeline by serving coffee out of a window.
Now, Royal Oak reflects the quirks and creativity of its community.
“I pride myself on accidentally being the most neurodiverse place in town,” Delia-Lobo said. “It’s a beacon for all kinds of people. Everyone I hire brings something unique.”
Located down by Otter Creek, Haymaker Bun Company offers something rare in Middlebury’s compact downtown: room to spread out. Caitlin Sausville, the manager of the bakery and cafe, compared the environment to a cruise ship: a place people can eat, study, chat and look out at the water.
“In comparison with other places in town, we have plenty of space for people to come in,” manager Caitlin Sausville said. “The whole soccer team came in earlier today and sat on the patio together to celebrate a birthday.”
Haymaker’s team works hard to build connections with students and locals alike.
“Sometimes we’ll memorize a person’s order before we memorize their name,” Sausville said. “It just means we’ve gotten to know what makes people happy.”
For Sausville, who grew up in a college town, that rhythm feels familiar.
“What’s so cool about college towns is that they’re constantly evolving,” Sausville said. “You feel the small-town vibes, but because of the constantly changing faces that come along with each new student, it doesn’t feel stuck. It’s able to grow and change.”
Her favorite part is the community that forms around the counter. She explained that she watches first hand as people take care of each other, noting that a customer even brought her a beret as a gift.
For Eleanor Karr ’29, who’s from the New York City area, the café culture has made Middlebury feel unexpectedly familiar.
“I was nervous that coming from such a big city, I’d miss that sense of community,” Karr said. “But the coffee shops here make it feel like home. You start to recognize people, and it’s really comforting.”
Throughout town, these cafés have become part of the flow of college life. Delia-Lobo sees the semester unfold from behind the counter.
“You start to notice patterns,” Delia-Lobo said. “The same study groups come in every week, and suddenly you realize, oh, it’s midterms already.”
For students like McKinley, that flow of people and energy turns a simple coffee run into a weekly ritual.
“Most weekends, my friends and I go to a coffee shop as a treat,” McKinley said. “Usually it’s Little Seed, but I like to switch it up.”
As winter settles in and finals approach, Middlebury’s coffee shops will keep the town buzzing, one maple latte, orange cocoa or rosewater creation at a time.
