By: Alexis Agee, Features Editor
On the corner of South Park Ave. and Hamburg St. in Buffalo, a small coffee shop sits ready to serve customers with great meals and even better coffee. When walking in, customers are presented with friendly staff and a wall full of custom handmade mugs. These mugs are not what one would expect — each mug has someone who has passed away painted on them. Before the shop was a coffee shop, it was a funeral home. They created the roastery club, where the idea for these mugs originated, in attempts to honor the space as it existed before.
This club has an annual fee of $100 or $60, if you decide to keep the same mug. The membership allows you to decide what famous deceased person to put on your mug, but it has to be someone that has not been chosen yet. Their website has a whole list of those who have already been picked: it ranges from Prince, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony and so many more. All of the mugs have a white base and the person picked on the mug is surrounded by flowers. While the design is basically the same, each mug turns out differently.
The handcrafted mugs are painted by local artist Jody Selin. Once the mug is made, customers are given the opportunity to either take it home or leave it on the shelf. Along with the custom mug, being a part of the roastery club also gives members 10% off food, drink and retail purchases every time you order, one free pound of coffee every year and, finally, monthly emails with discounts only members receive. If you love celebrating those who have passed and drinking coffee, this is something you should check out. If you aren't looking to start an annual membership with the roastery club, Undergrounds Coffee is still the place to go.
Their shop offers a wide range of drinks from the usuals like cappuccinos, lattes, cold brew and tea options. If you are looking to stay a while with friends they also offer a french press option that serves up to eight people. For those who are seeking different pour over options, they offer coffee beans from all over. The medium roast beans come from Kenya, Guatemala and Colombia. All of these can be served with non-dairy milk for those who need it. When looking for something to eat that can complement your coffee, they have many different pastry and cookie options when entering the shop and they are made fresh each morning. If you aren't in the mood for coffee and are looking for lunch options, they have a range of salads and sandwiches with all of these having gluten free bread options.
Undergrounds coffee can be found on Instagram at ugcoffee_ofw and are open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.