The Auburn + Opelika Coffee Shop Trail has become a hot topic in the Auburn community. The coffee trail, which commenced on Aug. 24, 2024, is beneficial to Auburn and Opelika locally owned businesses as well as community members.
Elizabeth Hobbs, an Auburn University marketing alumna who started the trail, was inspired by the Huntsville Craft Trail, a trail that was established five years ago. Hobbs interned in Huntsville after her freshman year of college, which is where she discovered the Craft Coffee Trail.
"I did the trail during my summer internship as a fun side hobby. Exploring the ones in Huntsville was really fun," Hobbs said.
Hobbs explained how she grew to love coffee shops throughout college and having a stamp book made it more fun for her to visit local coffee shops. The stamp books also helped her branch out and try new coffee shops that she wouldn't have tried otherwise.
"Going into my sophomore year, I had found a few coffee shops that I really loved in Auburn, but I knew there were so many more to explore. At that point, I really started putting the dots together and realized there could be potential to replicate a coffee trail in Auburn-Opelika considering we have so many coffee shops," Hobbs said.
She pitched the idea to Auburn-Opelika Tourism during her sophomore year. Her senior year was when she took a technical writing class with English professor Susan Youngblood. Within that class, Hobbs had to do a research project and asked if she could do the project based on her coffee shop trail idea.
"At that point in my class, I led a group of students and we researched the community interest and feasibility with coming up with a coffee trail," Hobbs said.
During that time, she surveyed local coffee shop goers and found that 200 people were interested in a Coffee Shop Trail. Afterwards, Hobbs reached out to different coffee shops to see if there was any interest in participating.
She then secured a partnership with Eloise Design Co.
"That research project I conducted for an Auburn University class was the research that fueled getting the trail off the ground again with AO Tourism. Having that research project was what kick-started things in the first place," Hobbs said.
Hobbs explained how she started a coffee shop review Instagram where she could post her coffee shop visits throughout Auburn.
"People would come up to me and say, 'Oh, I didn't know this coffee shop was here!', or ask me for insights on what the coffee shops were like," Hobbs said.
Hobbs said she sees the trail benefitting both the local businesses and the Auburn community.
"It's a direct impact on the local businesses of our coffee shops. When I pitched the idea to all of them, it was really important to me that there was no expense to the coffee shops," Hobbs said.
The Coffee Shop Trail is funded by local sponsors such as AO Tourism, 360 Real Estate and Eliose Design Co.
Raising brand awareness and getting people in the door is what's important to her.
"The potential I see with this is for people to get in the door of a place they saw no reason to try otherwise and, in turn, maybe people will discover a new favorite coffee shop," Hobbs said.
Hobbs' has a few favorite coffee shops, including Well Red, Side Track and Market Street Coffee Shop. She talked about how she is close with the owners, Richard and Crystal, and said that Well Red quickly became her second home.
Side Track and Market Street Coffee Shop in Opelika are equally loved by Hobbs. Market Street Coffee's owner, Jim Bryson, was one of the first people to hop on board with the coffee trail idea.
"The vibes are perfect in Side Track, they have a record player. I love records — I have found so many songs there. The connection to music as well as the owners, the staff is also friendly," Hobbs said. "They make it a point to make a connection with every person that walks in that door."
Megan Davis, junior in chemical engineering, is currently participating in the Auburn + Opelika Coffee Shop Trail. She was motivated to start the trail because she loves trying coffee from other places.
"I'm hoping to find a new favorite coffee shop, a place to go study and hang out with friends," Davis said.
Davis commented on how her perception of Auburn's coffee culture has changed. She mentioned that she hadn’t realized just how many local coffee shops there are in the area, noting that she usually stays within her circle and rarely ventures out to explore others.
"I have been following the trail since it's been announced and am now using it as a base for a small group I'm leading through Auburn Christian Fellowship. It has been an amazing time trying new places, growing my relationship with Christ, and with friends," Davis said.
Davis had advice for people wanting to make the most of their Coffee Shop Trail experience, emphasizing the importance of having a game plan. She noted that it's essential to pay attention to each coffee shop's hours, as many have different opening and closing times.
Mallory Nichols, an Auburn creative writing graduate and Second Story barista, believes that Second Story stands out because it's new and lots of people want to come check it out.
She shared what she thinks people should try coming to Second Story.
"I love our Iced Natalie! I recommend it to everyone who asks. Our bacon cheddar biscuit is a favorite too," Nichols said.
To partake in the trail, people can pick up a stamp book at one of the 16 participating coffee shops and order anything from the menu to receive a stamp. Once all 16 stamps are collected, a trail prize of a glass or ceramic mug can be claimed at one's final stop.If you want to learn more about the Auburn + Opelika Coffee Shop Trail, you can visit their website or Instagram.
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