The new coffeehouse at 41st and Walnut has been open for two weeks. Calling all caffeine cravers: there's a new lattZ joint in town. The Comet Coffeehouse and Espresso Bar came to 41st and Walnut streets about two weeks ago, bringing coffee, tea, smoothies, sandwiches and baked goods to West Philadelphians and students. The addition of independently owned Comet to University City's several coffee chains -- including Bucks, Xando and Starbucks-- comes at a time when there are few smaller coffee shops in the area. Independent coffee house CafZ Trio, located on the 400 block of South 40th Street, closed last week. Safe from yesterday's slush, customers inside the shop raved about the atmosphere. "It's friendlier than Xando or Torreo," Engineering junior Melanie Gnazzo said. "It has a really personal feel." Gnazzo added that she chatted with co-owner Gwen Papadopoulos when she discovered the coffee house during Monday's day off from classes. "The response has been really great," added Papadopoulos, who shares The Comet with her husband, Alexi. She added that they will have to add another table in the coffee house, which currently seats about 20 people, because the shop's appeal has already drawn many customers. The Comet uses La Colombe coffee in its 12 ounce and 16 ounce -- "small" and "big" -- beverages, which range from about $1 to $3. "The quality of the drink itself is better [than other campus coffee bars]," Alexi Papadopoulos said. Papadopoulos, himself a musician, opened The Comet for the West Philadelphia artistic community and residents, as well as students. "It's community based," said Papadopoulos, himself a fan of the recently closed Cafe Trio and its predecessor, Chimes, who lives at 41st and Powelton. Yesterday, customers said they appreciate the neighborly ambience. "This is my neighborhood," said 46-year-old Jeffery Manier, a First Union Bank security officer and student at the Community College of Philadelphia, who lives on Chestnut Street. "I'm five minutes from home right now," he said while sipping an espresso. Several themed days liven the cafe's daily 7 a.m. to midnight schedule, according to the owners. The Papadopouloses offer discount Tuesdays to contractors from the nearby Sundance Cinemas complex and Freshgrocer.com specialty foods market construction sites and on Sundays serve green eggs and ham -- using a combination of spinach and garlic to alter the dish's color. Local artists patronizing the shop yesterday said they want the independent establishment to survive corporate competition. "[It is] something to counteract all the Starbucks," 28-year-old filmmaker Paul Humm said. "Hopefully, the University will support it." Decorated in reds and yellows, the theme of fire envelops The Comet. The Papadopouloses, who have worked at Sugar Mom's and Old City Coffee in Center City, decorated their shop with hand-made tables and uniquely painted bathrooms designed by a local artist. In the future, Alexi Papadopoulos said he will offer more goods, including bulk coffee and locally made crafts. Currently, The Comet sells some ceramic pieces. And 21-year-old painter Jean-Paul Stanley, whose works hang on the shop's walls, praised The Comet's music while Ike and Tina Turner recordings played in the background. "My consciousness is expanded when I walk in here," Stanley said. Papadopoulos said the shop's music differs depending on his mood. "I change it constantly," he noted, adding that the shop will sometimes feature acoustic, live music, like next week when Elliot Levin and Rick Iannoconne perform.
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