Choosing a coffee shop is like buying a good pair of jeans. You can usually tell if they are going to fit you right when you first step into them. The Green Bean coffee house in downtown Greensboro fits me like a glove.

Traveling along Elm Street, the Green Bean’s clover-green exterior is guaranteed to grab your eyes. The color describes its personality: bright and energetic but down-to-earth at the same time.

Stepping inside and onto their creaky-hardwood floors reminds me of my childhood home, making it feel instantly familiar and comfy. Their spacious layout beckons me to find a seat and try a cup of coffee.

Scottie Bottenus, senior and design major at UNCG, can be found at the Green Bean studying, enjoying a cup of coffee, and hanging out with friends.

“I think compared to other types of coffee shops, this one’s personality is really inviting,” said Bottenus. “You feel like a legitimate sense of, ‘hey, we’re here to hang out and be cool with you and make you comfortable.'”

The Green Bean purchases their coffee and espresso from the roaster Joe Van Gogh in Hillsborough, NC. Their coffee is organic, certified fairly-traded and shade grown.

“It isn’t watered down or made hastily like you may find at other coffee shops,” said Bottenus. “All of the staff here easily outperforms anyone else. I drink my coffee black and sometimes with a little almond milk. So it’s important for me to have a full flavored coffee, brewed right.”

Every day the Green Bean offers their house blend of Organic Peru. Zeke Bantreese, the general manager, described it as a medium roast with a slight-chocolaty taste. The Zimbabwe blend, their rotating coffee of the day, is what I had.

I have developed a rating system for coffee. If it makes me close my eyes and smile like a cheesy coffee commercial, it is extremely good.

At the Green Bean, I cupped my hand around my coffee mug and took a sip. As if in slow motion, the corners of my mouth began to curl up and my eyes shut.

The taste hits every part of your tongue. It is full flavored and leaves no bitter after taste.

After opening my eyes, Bantreese educated me on the art of espresso and how well they train the new baristas.

“The nuances of pulling really good espresso are slight,” said Bantreese. “There’s like nine different elements that are going into pulling the perfect shot. It’s like a really good Zen practice to be able pay attention to every movement you’re doing.”

Besides the immense thought that goes into the espresso the Green Bean also supports local vendors. Their baked goods come from Spring Garden Bakery, Cheesecakes by Alex, Sweet Success and more. Sweet Success is part of the Sanctuary House, a non-profit organization that supports adults with mental illness in Greensboro.

As you’re eating a delicious baked good, it is nice to know that you are supporting local vendors and a worthy cause. Even the mug in my hand is locally purchased, recycled and has its own personality. Bantreese said he frequents places like Goodwill and Carolina Thrift to get the Green Bean’s mugs.

“So we try to find interesting, cool mugs,” said Bantreese, holding a mug with a bird on it. “We bring them out here and try to put them back to good use. We make a concerted effort to source stuff locally, even our paper products.”

Bantreese shared that one of the best things about his job is interacting with the customers. He delights in the exchange of ideas and trades.

“All the people that are coming here…have these talents. You sit here and get to talk with them and learn about them,” said Bantreese. “Being able to come (and) synthesize all these different ideas and hook people up and say, ‘you should really talk to this person’. It’s really like I’m doing something good for the community and not just providing good coffee.”

With so much open space, the choices in seating vary. Customers can sit on a stool near the barista, on a cozy chair in a more secluded area, or in front of a window. They also offer a choice of seating that is harder to find in the downtown Greensboro area.

“There’s an outdoor space, which is always important when it’s nice out,” said Dawn Leonard, part time lecturer in sports studies. “There’s not enough places downtown that have outdoor seating.”

Whether you come for work or play, your needs can be met here. They have free Wi-Fi, many electrical outlets and good size tables to work on.

Leonard, also head of Urban Harvest in Greensboro, said she uses the Green Bean as her “mobile office.” Marianne Legreco, professor in health communication at UNCG, was meeting with Leonard.

“It’s an easy meeting space because it’s centrally located,” said Legreco. “I’m coming from UNCG’s campus and we had somebody else who came from Elon University. So this is just an easy place for us all to get to.”

The Green Bean’s energetic and earthy elements left me satisfied. In the afterglow of a good cup of coffee, great conversation and my work done, I leave the Green Bean knowing that I will step back in very soon. Just like those comfy pair of jeans.