Hidden away on Ukiah’s North State Street lies a Wildcat’s study spot haven, Black Oak Coffee Roasters. Black Oak has served not just as a coffee shop but also as an ideal study spot for Ukiah Wildcats for years now. Other typical study locations, like home or a library, can be distracting and too familiar to allow you to focus. Places like Black Oak provide somewhere to go that will get you to focus on your schoolwork and get it done.
Chiara Barber, a junior attending the middle college program and a frequent patron of Black Oak, praises Black Oak for its comforting atmosphere and its effect on getting her to get her school work done, “I like coffee shop vibes… there’s something about just being in a coffee shop and opening your computer to do your homework …you can’t beat it.”
When asked how often students come in to study, Heidi Peterman, a worker at Black Oak, responded, “I feel like the majority of the people I see in there are they’re like people my age, that seem like they’re studying or they’re there for like work stuff.”
Compared to other coffee shops in Ukiah, like the many Starbucks locations, Black Oak brings a charm that you can’t get from local corporate franchises. Peterman recalled an experience at Starbucks where she said, “It feels sometimes like I’m rushed to get out of there. And there’s not a …relaxing environment that doesn’t invite people to like stay for a long time.”
Another draw to Black Oak is the fact that it is a local business as described by Peterman and Barber.
Customers appreciate Black Oak’s consistent quality coffee, flavorful pastries, and other food items. Peterman, hired on in late May, has enjoyed one of Black Oak’s cheese danishes during every shift since. “Even when I wasn’t, like, working there and I would study, I’d always get, like, a cheese danish. I don’t know, it just, like, gets me in my zone.”
We asked Wildcats what they thought about Black Oak, and over half of those who participated in the survey said they enjoyed studying at Black Oak and agreed that it helped them focus. Black Oak’s Chai and Matcha drinks seem to be a favorite among wildcats as well.
For Wildcats looking for a different study environment, Black Oak could be the place for you, as Peterman says, “It’s a chill environment, and … it’s good coffee and you could just sit there for hours and work”.
Josette Mealey
Josette Mealey is currently a junior attending Ukiah High School. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and reading about the world around her. Originally from Decatur, Illinois, Josette has loved the unique feel of Ukiah since she was six years old. In recent years, she has been interested in local politics and has wanted to be an active member in her school and community. She wanted to take journalism so that she could get a deeper insight into the news articles she reads every day. Email her at josette_mealey27@uusd.net.