By Emily Chan & Pham Tran
The newly opened cafe, Sip Coffee and Goods, has chosen Fountain Valley to be the setting of its success story. Located on Warner Avenue, Sip decided to call other long-standing businesses its neighbors.
If you’re a real entrepreneur, you must know “Place”, one of the five P’s of marketing, is a necessity when operating a business. Sip might seem like a seedling in the middle of the Amazon forest.
But erase this false accusation from your mind because the cafe wasn’t messing around and planned out its game in locating itself near the Biggies such as Stater Brothers, El Pollo Loco and WaBa Grill, not to mention the Fountain Valley Hospital. This strategy allows Sip to climb up the stairs of popularity faster as luring customers from other businesses. After all, this is the only place people can sip in the building between the crossroads of Warner and Euclid.
Just like people said, it’s such a privilege to be one of those Fountain Valley fellows. They have great neighborhoods, schools, safeties, and even attractions. Now that the city welcomed a brand new neighborhood cafe as something as unique as Sip, other cities must be so jealous.
Architecture
Walking into Sip Coffee is like walking into the house of a groovy grandma or a cool girl from Los Angeles (they’re the same thing). The overall vibe of the cafe blends minimalism with the eccentric and cute with the cool. Just outside of the cafe, two wooden tables with matching wooden seats and sage seat covers wave to you. Additionally, a sign reminds you to take it one Sip at a time; a humble entrance for a cafe that’s nothing short of a gen-z dream when it comes to aesthetics.
It’s a hard feat to be one of our generation, but with the help of cute posters, warm lighting, and Sonny Angels, Sip Coffee has done it. The prominence of wood and gingham patterns helps to create a cozy feel while the light gray tiling on the floors and front counter keep it modern.
To the left by the front counter, a small wooden shelf displays some of the items they are selling in addition to drinks and treats. Looking for a Sunday candle? They have it. Looking for some unique popcorn? They have it. Want to sport some Sip Coffee swag? You can! Also, on the bottom shelf, there are a few books and games to play with your friends, take the Labubu Uno cards for example.
The cafe itself is quite small, only able to accommodate two low tables, each seating around five people. There is one additional seat at the counter if you’re a nosy Nancy and want to see your drink being made as well. Although it’s not a prime study spot due to its small size, Sip Coffee is perfectly suited for a friendly catch-up or coffee run.
Thus, with SZA playing in the background and the cute dog and coffee cup motifs surrounding us, we made our way to the front counter to order. Since your reviewers aren’t coffee drinkers, we decided to try the Triple Matcha Einspanner, Strawberry Matcha, Berry Lemonade, Yuzu Peach Spritz and Apple Pop Tart.
Triple Matcha Einspanner | $7.00
If you care more about your aesthetic looks with a cup of matcha in your hands every morning to school and are thought of as a Pinterest girl more than the taste itself, then luckily you because Sip could take care of that. The Triple Matcha Einspanner, I know you’re giggling when reading the name, is nothing but classic.
Do you want to look aesthetic but don’t have the appetite in the morning to go for something too extraordinary that could make you go poo-poo? This drink was born to satisfy that need.
The green gradient of going from the lighter shade of cream to the darker shade of the actual drink adds a special touch to your outfit of the day in impressing that boy you like. The matcha powder on top and the not-too-vibrant green add up with the morning sunlight to create an explosive combo that could maybe be your new pin on the Pinterest board.
As you slowly put your straw in and mix it up, in front of your eyes is now a formation of a homogenous mixture in case you are chemistry material. The cream on top blends in so well with the matcha latte that even Sherlock Holmes can’t detect single evidence that they used to be separated. The strong taste of matcha with the not-too-overloaded sweetness can wake you up and yank your brain for that first-period test.
At the end of the day, if you need some caffeine to boost your energy then this could maybe be your safest option!
Rating: 7.5/10
Strawberry Matcha | $6.75
Solid is the only word I can use to describe this drink. The latte is a pretty vibrant green color and has a light pink, strawberry cold foam on top. It’s adorned with bits of freeze-dried strawberries and a strawberry pocky stick as well.
When you mix the drink up, the foam holds up well and doesn’t disintegrate on site which is a plus! I personally prefer the strawberry flavor to be infused into the latte, rather than mixing in a syrup or jam at the bottom. So, if you’re like me, this strawberry matcha would be perfect for you.
Also, the strawberry flavoring doesn’t overtake the matcha flavor and there’s no separation between the matcha powder and milk. Keep in mind that this drink does air on the sweet side!
Rating: 8/10
Berry Lemonade | $5.25
Eating a burger from McDonald’s and drinking a cup of unlimited refill lemonade in your hands makes you want to spread your wings and reach heaven. But that’s what holy people do, we’re mere humans so we only drink Berry Lemonade from Sip while taking a bite of our warm apple pop tart.
If you talk about the family of gradient drinks at Sip, don’t forget this lemonade buddy because this is the main lead in the story that the audience has been waiting for. The transition from the whiteness of lemons to the reddish color of berries is an art that you just want to stare at 24/7, not to mention the little decorating details of the dried thin slice of orange and strawberry bits on top.
But this is a review so how do we review without trying it right? The berry juice gets blended in with the lemonade so perfectly that when you take a sip, the dynamic taste you get from the mouth travels to the heart and could rent a space there for a while. It goes from sour to sweet in your mouth without any effort and makes you want to take another sip and another and another.
So imagine turning a fruity-flavored sour candy into a drink, this is exactly it!
Rating: 9/10
Yuzu Peach Spritz | $5.00
There are only two types of carbonated drinks in the world. The ones that give you that fizzy sensation and the ones that make your face pucker up.
Unfortunately, the Yuzu Peach Spritz is the latter. The peach flavor is very faint and it is often overpowered by the spicy sparks that appear in your mouth after every sip. The beverage itself is very beautiful, with a dried orange on top of a clear, light yellow drink.
That being said, if you’re not a fan of carbonated drinks, this spritz isn’t going to be your cup of tea (or in this case soda).
Rating: 6.5/10
Apple Pop-Tart | $4.00
The Apple Poptart is a delectable pastry filled with apple jam, covered in a crumble topping and topped with a caramel drizzle. The pop tart isn’t too sweet and is pretty filling.
However, keeping it in the bag as you munch away is definitely the way to go if you want to avoid an abundance of crumbs landing on your lap. To be honest, there’s not much to say about this. It’s a solid breakfast choice and I would get it again!
Rating: 7/10
Customer Service
Although Sip Coffee is still young, it is strong. The workers’ work ethics here are at top-tier levels just like you could find at a Michelin-star restaurant. The number of customers like waves hitting the Titanic ship doesn’t discourage the service as they make sure to not only serve you fest but also serve you good.
Best equality drinks are produced under these magical speedy hands and never let a single customer frown and say goodbye. The workers you see at Sip will always greet you with a smile on their faces that could clear out your stormy day.
The vibes that you get from here are like a combination of the comfy cafe atmosphere with the meditating stress relief yoga session. Happy workers, happy customers, happy day!
Conclusion
What stood out to us about Sip Coffee was the general vibe the cafe gave off. In addition to your tasty croissant and latte, you’re able to play games, talk freely to the staff, and feel safe. Nearly every sitcom has a third space character frequently and Sip Coffee can be yours.
We really feel like Sip Coffee will have a special place in our community. If you don’t trust us, you just need to take a sip of Sip Coffee yourself!
