Lilly Crist
The drive-thru of 151 Coffee is bustling with customers on a Friday morning. 151 Coffee is a coffee chain that recently opened a location in Manhattan, KS.
151 Coffee established itself as the newest coffee shop in Manhattan last week. The new franchise of drive-thru cafes focuses on customer service and unbeatable flavors. Founded in 2017, Manhattan is the 10th city to receive a location, but I doubt we are the last. I had never tasted 151 Coffee before the grand opening, nor even heard of it, but the experience assured me I wouldn’t forget it anytime soon.
After arriving at 900 N 3rd St., customers are greeted by friendly faces and wide smiles. Following the trend of other customer-first drive-through restaurants like Chick-fil-A, 151 stations employees outside to greet and take orders. The process feels very personal, and I’ve had great conversations with many of the workers. This also makes your first few visits easier as they are there to assist you with the menu, provide suggestions or even just have a friendly chat. Often, I found that this face-to-face connection brightened my day more than the coffee!
As for the menu itself, 151 sells a wide selection of coffee, tea, energy drinks, smoothies, dirty soda and more, but no food to pair with it. From a business perspective, this is a smart and intentional way to keep costs down, and item quality high. Yet as a consumer and critic, I did find myself wishing for something to go with my caffeine kick. If you are hungry or looking for a snack, 151 Coffee has nothing to offer you. This means customers either have to make an additional stop, or find another coffee shop. This is a major drawback for me, as it led to more than one occasion that I drove past 151 in the morning without making a stop. However, this has not stopped the Manhattan community from paying a visit to the newest coffee hub in town — every time I have driven past, lines are wrapped around the building.
That being said, the drinks I did try were fantastic. My personal favorite was the Snickers Iced Coffee. The flavors were both salty and sweet, mixed to perfection.
As a college student, cost is at the forefront of my mind during a purchase. A common criticism of modern coffee shops is how expensive drinks are. 151 doesn’t do much to combat this trend, but it is a cheaper alternative than other national brands. When compared to other major shops, 151 Coffee comes in roughly 5-10% cheaper than its competition. For example, a Starbucks iced latte costs about 20 cents more than my choice of drink. This shows it isn’t trying to compete with other businesses on price, but on the quality of both product and service.
This strategy, in my opinion, pays off well. 151 Coffee consistently offers the best drive-through customer service I’ve experienced, as well as the quality of product to back it up. While I wish it offered even the simplest of breakfast options, this doesn’t detract from the quality and selection of drinks offered. These factors combine to make 151 Coffee easy to recommend for anyone looking for a caffeine kick in their day, served with a smile.