In an effort to show its dedication to sustainability, the city of Phoenix revamped the historic A.E. England Building and opened it to shops. Fair Trade Café snatched up one of the retail spaces, in a prime location across from ASU's Cronkite School and University Center, and opened its doors about two weeks ago.
Maintaining the sustainability archetype, the vintage architecture is offset by an ultra-modern interior. And we ask why? Don't these newly-opened spaces look like they were yanked from the pages of an IKEA catalogue?
The simplistic interior of Fair Trade's newest home makes the space look empty, which is kind of eerie when you're trying to get comfortable. However, the outdoor patio area is its saving grace. We're sure that when it isn't triple-digit temperatures, this place will be filled with the tweeting, Facebooking, and Googling of any other college café.
The menu and drink selection at the new Fair Trade is very similar to that of the other location. Our favorites are a simple iced coffee or unique iced tea flavors, including the sweet and tart red hibiscus. These drinks are great to grab on the go, and are really cheap.
The vegan cookies are also delightfully inexpensive, at one for 75 cents or two for a dollar. While they also offer several other tasty treats, those little cookies just can't be beat for the price.
We think the new Fair Trade is a great place to run in and out between classes, but lacks the cushy appeal of its older sister store.
Mesa Community College, Scottsdale Community College, and ASU's West campus: we didn't forget about you! Stay tuned for next week when we give you some much needed attention, and make sure to tip your barista!
