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Big Things Come In Small Packages

Whenever I am asked "what's your favorite city?" without missing a beat I answer Charleston, SC. Some would think with my personality it would be Vegas, or maybe the NYC, with my loud and sarcastic mouth I could see why those two come to mind first.  However, I just love everything the town of Charleston has to offer, and all the people that make up this wonderful treasure. Speaking of treasure, last week while on my visit I came across a quaint little coffee house during my stroll to the area Farmers Market. Mind you I simply can not resist a good cup or a chance to investigate a new shop I've never visited before. Upon walking through the door I thought to myself, man it smells good in here. My second thought was, what a tiny storefront, then again with the price per square foot in that town  it is probably just perfect for both business and the bottom line. After taking a quick look around I stepped up to the counter to see what they had to offer in way of quality bean, to my surprise the person taking my order just happened to be the owner himself. I like that a lot, you know a good business from a bad one from the management, and this guy wants to make sure all is up to his standards and his customers are taken care of. As he explained the series of beans he had up for offering this week and cordially answered my questioned, I noticed how well the other employees were getting along with the other customers. I can't stress enough how important it is that any employee enjoys their work, it's not enough these days just to have a fancy location or a huge product line. Today more than ever quality customer service trumps everything else, and this staff made everyone's experience a good one.

Now obviously along with the good service the City Lights offers a great cup of coffee, local baked goods, and some awesome fresh squeezed orange juice. I just realized that in order to have a coffee blog, somewhere within this story there should be information about the coffee. What I found to be really exciting about the selection of bean that is offered, is that it is always changing. One week you can be enjoying a great African seasonal, and the next a fantastic rustic blend from Italy. Another thing I liked about City Lights is the fact that they are a loyal customer of the Counter Culture Movement which happens to be my favorite supplier.

Located at 141 N.Market St. just a short walk from the heart of the town you will find this wonderful little shop. So on your next visit to the greatest little city in the country stop by and enjoy a cup.