It wall started a few weeks about when a friend and me were talking about finding a “usue” as in a “usual,” a coffee shop that we would always go to, the place we are faithful too, where we spend our hard earned money. It has been hard to find, not because there is a lack of good coffee shops, but because there is so many to choose from! You see I live in the Cowichan Valley a town that boasts dozens of coffee shops… I can’t begin to count all the coffee shops, and I can’t begin to choose which one of these should be the “usue.”
So I have come up with a grading system to determine which of the many coffee shops will become the “usue” here in the Cowichan Valley. They are as follows….

Coffee: obviously the most important in the grading system!
Atmosphere: this can make or break a coffee shop, if the seats suck or the music it’s almost not worth going too…
Location: we don’t want to drive to far. We are eco-friendly here….
Fair-Trade/Local/Organic: This is a must… we can’t have our consciouses bugging us because we are being un-ethical while we are enjoying our freshly ground heaven
Food: we all love food, it may be lunch or just a muffin with your coffee, but if it’s good the day improves greatly!
Wi-Fi: Internet access does not matter to some, but it’s a big plus for me!

There it is… the standard at which the coffee shops shall be judged. Every week I will pick a new location and let you know my thoughts…. Join me by commenting your thoughts on the shop of the week!

PS: A note to coffee shop owners I will definitely take bribes of free coffee while I am at your place!