After a dutiful few hours at the Downtown Library, my sister and I were looking for a much needed coffee break to keep us energized for the rest of our day. Trying to stay away from chain restaurants, we stumbled upon a simplistic brick building with beautiful artwork inside that you could see through the clear windows. It seemed like a chill environment that we had to take a look into. PaLatte was calling our names.

We walked up a few steps to get our hands on the front door, and I immediately noticed a teenage girl quietly sitting behind the front register curled up with a book. It looked as if she was in a different world that consisted of sticky notes and highlighters. It wasn’t until the bell rang as we entered PaLatte that she instantaneously stood up and welcomed us with a warm smile.

As someone who does not usually get coffee, I was studying the menu like I was being tested on it. The smiley cashier noticed my indecisiveness when it came to picking one drink from the long selection and told me that I would like one of their iced lattes. Trusting her, I ordered an iced latte and a glazed doughnut to go along with it.

The wait wasn’t very long considering that my sister and I, along with a group of friends in the back, were the only ones in the shop that afternoon. Waiting for my sister’s coffee to brew, I stepped away from the counter and admired all the art that surrounded the four walls of PaLatte. I’ve never taken the time to truly appreciate a work of art in the flesh, but looking at all the creative, intensely hued paintings on the walls made me wish I figured out about this coffee shop a long time ago.

We sat close to the window so we were able to look out at the street view. There were comfy couches and throw pillows that gave the place a homey feel. I sat down quickly once our orders were served and indulged in the tasty doughnut and drank iced coffee in what felt like only five minutes. Wishing I savored my food and drink, I sat on the couch contently eyeing all the portraits surrounding me until a certain one caught my eye. It was what looked like a mermaid in the sea, surrounded by other sea creatures and plants. It was filled with vibrant colors that took my attention and held on to it.

Ten minutes had passed by since I devoured my order, and I still felt like I needed to stay a little longer. There was so much joy and happiness packed into the cafe that I felt like I didn’t properly take it all in during my short time there. The artwork at PaLatte is all either made or sold by the owners of the shop, which makes it that much more special that we were supporting a locally owned shop along with the art that was in it.

The quick coffee run wasn’t meant to be anything special, but PaLatte made sure it gave us a reason to come back.